Tangled Web
by Digitaldreamer
Summary: AU ZoLu Roronoa Zoro is leading a double life as a senior at Yume High and a mercenary for Saga corp. What happens when he finds an injured, unconcious Luffy in an alleyway? Zoro's already complicated life is about to get much more complicated.
1. The Boy in the Alleyway

**-Tangled Web-  
A role-play/joint-fic by Digitaldreamer and Constable Remington  
Chapter one: The Boy in the Alleyway**  
_  
Hey guys! This is Digitaldreamer, and my Kingdom Hearts fanfic readers are probably going to beat me over the head for this, but quite frankly I don't really care. I'm One Piece obsessed now, so One Piece fanfiction I will write. _

So yeah, you're probably wondering why I'm posting a role-play/joint-fic by Constable Remington and I? Well, I recently met Constable through the Zoro/Luffy community on LiveJournal. She wrote an awesome fic on it and I commented, and then she IMed me outta the blue. It was quite cool really, she's an awesome person and a ZoLu fan and…eh, she's awesome and I'm quite glad she IMed me out of the blue.

So we were talking and we decided to do a ZoLu RP together. Much happiness and joy. So after spending a bit of time working out the plot (Which involved choosing between AU and regular OP-verse and eventually flipping a coin over it.) we got started on the RP. It's fun. Yes it is. Constable is an amazing writer and I'm very happy to get the chance to play with her.

_I love this RPG quite a bit, and I figured it'd make a good fanfic, so I asked Constable if I could post the fic on She agreed, and thus here I am. _

So yeah, this is an AU. It's sort of a high school AU…but it's sort of not. Eh, it's AU and that's all you need to know, because I don't feel like explaining exactly what it is. In this AU Zoro, Nami, Ussop, Sanji, Robin, and Vivi all live in a boarding house. And um…yeah. O.o

It's a Zoro/Luffy fic. That means its yaoi. Yes, that's boys lovin' each other. Got a problem with that? Take it somewhere else. Flames will be used to toast marshmallows.

I don't know exactly how far this thing will go. At the moment it's rated T, but it's likely to go up to M by later chapters. Yes.

Soooo…um…Luffy, Usopp, Nami, and Robin are played by me. Zoro, Sanji, and Vivi are played by Constable. The plot is ours, and if you yoink it I'll hurt you. So yeah….um…enjoy.

**Disclaimer:** They're Oda's babies, we just make them ghey.

* * *

There are so many more funerals recently.

The rain was gently pattering down against the cool, green countryside, hitting the marble of the gravestones and dripping eerily down the sides, over the engraved names of those dead and gone. A small group had gathered to watch the proceedings. Some were crying, clinging to one another and not daring to watch as the dismal ceremony took place. To the tall, stoic man clothed in a simple pair of dark pants, boots, and a rain poncho, death was just another part of the unending circle of life.

He watched the casket lower into the obligatory hole, and the assumed mother of the victim cried loudly, burying her head into her husband beside her. Zoro only watched the cool metal casket until it had disappeared into Mother Earth's outstretched arms, raised up wide to receive her dead.

The simple red rose in the man's hand dropped from his fingers and he turned swiftly on the heel of his boot, pulling the hood up on his poncho, beginning to walk away from the scene at a steady, normal pace. His hands found their way into his pockets, and he didn't hurry forward. He didn't seem to mind the simple rain.

His face was set in a simple, yet blank noise. He had promised himself he wouldn't cry -- and he hadn't. It hadn't even been an option.

_She's gone. So what? Life moves on._

That didn't make the road home any easier on the man's mind.

He walked until he had reached the city again, where he strange boarding house where he lived was. He was getting closer now -- when he heard the loud mewing of a cat. Turning his head towards the noise, Zoro saw a small black kitten sitting beside what looked like...

_...a body?_

His stomach almost dropped, and it was enough to catch his attention. The kitten was gently licking at the body's arm, mewing almost worriedly, but Zoro's loud steps scared it off, and it trotted quickly away, finding perch atop a trashcan to watch.

Kneeling beside the body, Zoro was careful with what he touched. If the body was indeed dead... then he hardly needed to be implicated in a murder he didn't commit.

_Not this one, anyway..._

But it wasn't dead. As Zoro lifted away the strange tarp that seemed to haphazardly be covering some of the figure, the first thing he saw was it's -- no, his -- chest rising and falling, and then, a face, gentle and sleeping. Still, the breath seemed ragged... and the body was cut up and bruised.

"Christ, you've been through hell, haven't you, kid?" Zoro breathed softly. His first reaction was to leave the kid alone -- he was probably just some homeless punk -- but something else was pulling at him... some insistence to pick the kid up and bring him along. Zoro wasn't one to ignore his conscious, not when it fared him so well in fights. Gently, the man's arms slid around the boy's figure -- and the little black kitten mewed loudly as if in approval, to which Zoro only snorted softly back, picking the kid up and carrying him like a child, continuing the rest of the way home.

When he opened the door, kicking it with a foot and shutting it similarly behind him, he glanced around for someone to help him with the load.

"Oi, Nami, you're back! Did you get any milk?" A slightly nasally voice called from up the stairs as a fairly thin teenager ambled down them. "We're all out and Sanji keeps yelling at me to get some but my car's in the shop so I hoped yo- Oh, Zoro!" The teen stopped at the foot of the stairs, blinking at the soaked man from behind wire-framed glasses. He wore a greenish-gray shirt with the word "Yosh" on it in bright yellow letters lined in green. The shirt was one of his own designs, and his old, ratty jeans were covered with scribbles and doodles. He frowned, dark brows stark against dark skin furrowing.

"I thought Tashigi's funeral was supposed to last until nine?" He asked as he glanced at Zoro, scratching the end of his long nose. As his fingers were covered in ink this action resulted in a small splotch of black at the end of his nose. Then his eyes widened. "Is that a _guy_?" He cried, his voice reaching a higher pitch as he rushed through the hallway to the door, his fishnet jacket trailing behind him a bit with the motion.

Usopp gasped he got closer. "It _is_ a guy! Why are _you_ carrying him, did you beat him up or something?" He demanded as he gave Zoro a scrutinizing look. He immediately backed down under Zoro's gaze however and returned his attention to the boy. "Nah, that's not like you anyway. Probably got beat up or something…" He murmured, more to himself as he looked the boy over. Messy black hair hung over his peaceful face, a scar placed just below his left eye, which was bruised like the rest of him. Gashes and bruises nearly covered every inch of his tanned skin, blood seeping though his tattered light red t-shirt and jean shorts."Geez….he's pretty beat up…" Usopp murmured, looking to Zoro again. "You want me to help you with him?"

Slightly unnerved at being mistaken for Nami, Zoro assumed that she had left while he had been gone. His eyes followed Usopp as the man made his way down the stairs, and he shook his head at the comment about the funeral. "I left early," he said shortly. He didn't really feel inclined to want to talk about it, exactly. His friend -- someone he held grudging respect towards, at least -- had died. What more was there to say?

It's not conversation material.

Further irked by Usopp's immediate assumption that Zoro had beaten the kid up, the tall man frowned, his brow crinkling some in irritation. "No, I didn't hurt him," he spoke coldly, arms tightening around the boy. Truthfully, he hadn't taken much time to really examine him, but now that Usopp seemed to be, Zoro did as well, looking down at him through slightly soft eyes.

"I've got him," he muttered. "I just don't know where to put him. Is there a free room or something?"

Attracted by the noise, a young woman peeked out from behind the corner, her long, sky-colored hair pulled up into a sweeping pony tail. She walked out into the entry hall, a rather gracious smile on her face.

"Welcome back, Roronoah-san," she offered gently, looking from him to Usopp. "You look wet; you should change into some dry clothes. Maybe Sanji will make you some coffee."

Zoro was about to snort back that he didn't really want any of the cook's shitty coffee when the girl let out a squeal and rushed to Zoro's side.

"Oh my! Who is he? Is he alright? We need to get him in a bed quickly!" She snagged Zoro's arm, pulling him forward past Usopp and towards the staircase. "Usopp, will you go tell Sanji that we need a bowl of warm water and a rag? Get some bandages from the bathroom, as well. We'll be in Zoro's room, alright?" And with that, she urgently pulled Zoro up the stairs.

Usopp's expression became one of surprise as Vivi suddenly spouted off several commands practically all in one breath. He blinked as she sped up the stairs. "A-ah…r-right! The great Usopp-sama will get the bandages!" He declared, taking a moment to pose before rushing down the hallway to the kitchen. He peeked his head into the brightly lit room.

"Oi, Sanji! Vivi needs a bowl of warm water and rag in Zoro's room, stat!" He said, gesturing towards the stairs with his thumb.

Looking from the steaming pot of stew over the stove that he was gingerly stirring, Sanji glanced towards Usopp, raising an eyebrow.

"A bowl of warm water and a rag?" he repeated, slightly confused. "What, are we finally sanitizing the room from the shit-head?" Still, he set the ladle down and went to the kitchen's pantry, looking around for a bowl. He found a large porcelain one and took it down from the shelf, holding it in one arm and moving to the sink. Sanji played with the knobs until water rushed from the shining metal faucet, causing steam to rise playfully from the rush. He placed the bowl under the stream, letting it fill to a considerable depth before reaching to shut the water off. He grabbed the edges of the bowl with both hands, lifting it up. It was heavy with the weight of the water.

"Grab that rag over there," he gestured by tilting his head toward the counter, "And we'll go up there together."

"Right! As long as I don't have to help with all the blood and junk. I-I'll do the most important job, carrying the rag with my mad rag-carrying skills." Usopp said as he rushed over to the rag and picked it up. "Aha! The great Usopp-sama is the best one for the job of carrying the rag!" He declared, posing for a moment. Then he frowned.

"Oh, right bandages. The great Usopp-sama gets to carry the rag _and_ bandages! I'm obviously the best man for the job." He murmured, then bolted up the stairs to get said bandages.

Hearing Usopp's tiny mumble about "blood", Sanji's interests peaked quickly. Maybe he had mis-heard? But with the clear mention of "bandages", now he was sure. He was about to ask Usopp what the hell Zoro had done to himself this time when he was suddenly left alone, Usopp instead sprinting up the stairs. Sanji sighed in irritation, but merely followed, much slower, trying not to spill a drop of the water. They'd probably need the damn stuff. This whole situation didn't sound good.

He passed his own door and then the bathroom, peeking his head in. With a shrug, he simply told Usopp, "I'll meet up with you down there, I wanna see what's going on," and with that he continued on down the hall, finding Zoro's door, which lie slightly ajar. Pushing it open with a shoed foot, he set the still-steaming bowl against Zoro's dresser. Something must be wrong -- Zoro looked fine. He was about to ask just what the hell was going on when Vivi interrupted him.

"Oh, thank you so much, Sanji-san," she said suddenly. She was kneeled beside Zoro's bed, and Sanji's eyes moved towards her to reply when he saw the young boy.

"...who the hell is that?" he asked, slightly surprised. "And what happened to him?"

"Zoro picked him up off the street," Vivi explained sadly. "He's just some young boy. We've looked, but there wasn't any identification on him or anything. I'm sure when he wakes up he'll be able to tell us what's wrong and we can surely get some food into his poor little system--"

"Of course, of course," Sanji said gently, leaning against the wall. "Usopp's bringing the rag and the bandages. He was just right behind me."

Just at that moment the curly haired man made his entrance, rushing in with bandages and rag in hand. "The great Usopp-sama has brought the bandages and the rag with his mad-carrying skills!" He declared as he handed them off to Vivi. Then he looked down at the boy on the bed again, face becoming one of worry. "Shouldn't we call 911…or something?" He asked, twirling a tangle of messy brown curls that had escaped from his ponytail around his finger.

Feeling that there were far too many people in his room, Zoro began to grow rather irritated, Appreciative as he was to Vivi's actions, he had planned on spending the night alone and brooding, thank you very much, and this seemingly endless bombardment of intrusion was doing nothing to calm his already-shot nerves. He snatched the rag and bandages from Usopp's hands, managing a quick "thanks" under his breath despite his gruff annoyance.

"I think I can take care of this myself," he muttered. "He's not hurt enough to call the hospital. If he's in a lot of pain when he wakes up, he can go to the doctor or something." But something in Zoro's tone and face told his "company" that he would really rather be alone, and Sanji caught it.

Which was fine with him. He didn't want to be in Zoro's disgusting excuse for a "room", anyway.

"I'd better check on dinner," he mumbled, and made his way from the room. Vivi looked slightly alarmed, but she knew that Zoro knew how to treat wounds, especially since he seemed to have a new one all the time.

"Oh... alright, I... I'll come with you, Sanji-san," she said, standing from the bedside and following the blonde out, leaving Usopp and Zoro alone.

Zoro raised an eyebrow to him, unsure what to say to make the man leave, but hoping he would maybe catch the hint.

Usopp glanced this way and that, looking nervous under Zoro's level gaze as he backed towards the door. "W-well…ah…I-I have a c-comic to get back to so I'll just…ah...ah...bye!" He yelped, turning and rushing out of the room as fast as his legs could carry him. Zoro seemed to be in brooding mode, and if one wanted to keep their limbs attached to their body, it was expected that everyone kept their distance when Zoro was in brooding mode.

Masking his joy at being alone, Zoro reached over and shut the door behind Ussop, then, as an afterthought, locked it as well. He sighed some, slumping against the wall... before he remembered his little "patient". Feeling slightly obligated towards the kid for some reason, Zoro lifted the warm bowl of water from the dresser and kneeled beside the bed where Vivi had been, placing the bowl beside him and setting the bandages down for now, too. Slightly unsure of what to do, Zoro pulled the blankets gingerly away from the kid's body and stared at him for a moment, as if sizing up his wounds. Frowning, his hands reached out, working at the buttons of the boy's shirt to pull the fabric away. He frowned at what he saw. What the hell had happened to this kid, anyway? Gently, he soaked the rag in the water, wringing it out a bit, washing the rag over the boy's skin in order to somehow clean his wounds. It would have to do for now -- when the kid woke up; he'd have to get a shower.

Zoro, however, stopped at the waistline, not exactly keen on completely stripping some young kid down.

As the wet rag in Zoro's hand washed over a few of the shallow gashes on the boy's side his little "patient" let out a small moan, face twitching slightly.

Zoro pulled his hand away quickly, surprised. He hadn't expected the boy to wake up now, of all times -- in fact, Zoro wasn't even really expected the kid to wake up until the next day, perhaps when he was gone to school. He wasn't exactly sure what to do...

"Hey, kid... you awake?"

The boy's eyes fluttered open for a moment, dilated pupils of dark brown meeting Zoro's black eyes. He cocked his head to the side in the confusion, eyes half-open. "…huh?" He mumbled. "…Ace?"

Taken aback, Zoro set the rag back against the floor, staring down at the kid. He hadn't seemed to notice that the kid had called him by another name. He instead leaned back, watching him carefully. "Hey... are you alright?"

The boy gave a weak grin that seemed to light up his entire face. "Dunno…I think so…everything really hurts though. Ace…did we get into another fight?" He asked, still sounding confused. Clearly he believed that Zoro was this Ace person, whoever he may be. "Kuro's gonna get all mad at you agai-" He suddenly cut off as his eyes flashed red for a moment, then began to fall closed with another groan.

"Hey-- whoa--" Zoro quickly reached his arms forward to grab the kid, eyes wide and confused. But he had fallen limp in his arms, and Zoro frowned suddenly, unsure what to do now. Ace? Who was this person?

The boy didn't wake up again; he just remained limp in the older man's arms, giving no hint of any sort that he was even alive, his slow breathing the only testament to this.

Staring down at him for a worried moment, Zoro made a noise of irritation and pulled his arms quickly away. He sighed, picking the rag back up and continuing to gently mop at the boy's skin, leaving his shorts on. He slid the shirt from the kid's shoulders, and gently picked him up, moving him from the bed to lean instead against his own chest and began to wrap the bandages against the boy's wounds. This was somewhat awkward no matter how he did it, because the boy couldn't hold himself up.

The boy was extremely tall and thin, as well as extremely skinny, with hardly any meat on his frame. Oddly enough, in spite of his extremely thin frame saying otherwise, the boy was rather muscled and seemed to have six-pack abs. Of course, these were horribly bruised, but they still seemed a bit odd when you considered how tiny the guy was.

Finishing wrapping the bandages around the boy's fragile-seeming body, Zoro carefully picked him back up, setting him into the bed and pulling the covers up over him. He frowned down at the lump in his bed for a moment before sighing and moving back towards the door to retrieve his backpack and pull out a history book and an empty worksheet. He moved towards the chair in his room, opening the book and setting it against his knees.

"The American Presidential election of 1980 was very important for many reasons," the book began, but Zoro didn't really give a damn about President Reagan, and his eyes kept moving from the page up to the bandaged, resting young boy.

The boy slept peacefully, almost like the dead with the way he made no movements, the blankets pulled over him rising and falling with his breathing.

Making a face and glancing to the worksheet, Zoro hastily scribbled down some answer about "stagflation" and "Reaganomics", mostly because those were the only two boldface words on the page in the textbook, which made them likely pretty important, and probably good enough.

He really didn't feel like doing his damn homework, but he was ready to graduate this year, damnit, and he would, so he'd hand all his damn homework in. He guessed.

Maybe when the kid wakes up, he'll be a genius, Zoro mused, and he can do all my fucking homework for me in exchange for saving his life.

Just then there came a knock on the door, a rapping so light one could barely hear it, but it was noticeable none-the-less. "Swordsman-san?" A young women's voice carried through the wooden door. "May I come in?"

Looking up, Zoro sighed, reaching over in his chair and unlocking the door. "Yeah, sure, c'mon in," he answered gruffly. Had Robin-sensei heard the news about the kid and come to check him out? He shrugged a little, trying to appear as if he were working hard on his packet.

The door to Zoro's room opened just enough for a tall women in her late twenties to slip through, closing the door behind her as she stepped inside. She ran a hand through her perfectly straight, raven-black hair as she smiled one of her mysterious smiles. She was clad in a simple light purple shirt that showed off just a bit of cleavage. A dark purple woolen, button-up sweater was pulled over it, the end of the sweater trailing down behind her to just below her upper legs almost like a trench coat. She also wore a sleek white mini-skirt and white boots.

"My, my, Swordsman-san, you're such a diligent student." She murmured, a hint of teasing in her voice as she glanced over the nineteen-year old's shoulder at his work. As the history teacher at Yume High, she knew full well what Zoro's "work habits" were like.

Twitching slightly at the close proximity of his teacher, Zoro froze, not really sure what to do. He simply decided to shrug it off, giving a rather gruff grunt in response. There was something about Robin-sensei... it wasn't that he didn't like her or anything, but... her strange ways made him slightly uncomfortable, for some reason.

"Well, with such an interesting subject as history, who couldn't be good at it?" he answered back, shutting the book with the packet still tucked inside and setting it down on the floor. "...you came to see the kid? Or do you really just like me enough to pay me a visit?"

Robin chuckled, stepping past Zoro to the bed. "Straight to the point, hm Swordsman-san? Of course I'd like a look, he's already quite the little celebrity it seems…"She said as she gazed down at the boy beneath the covers. Her face betrayed none of her thoughts as she looked him over. "Where did you find him?" She inquired without looking at the one she was questioning.

"In the alley beside the house," Zoro answered softly, his own eyes moving from Robin to the young boy, sleeping peacefully like some weird cherub in one of those old paintings. "Does he look familiar to you? He looks like he's high-school age, so I was thinking maybe he's one of your students. I've never seen him before, though..." He frowned some.

Robin gazed down at the boy for another moment, brows furrowing, then she shook her head. "No. He looks a bit familiar, but he's never been in any of my classes before. I don't even think I've seen him around town. But I feel as if I've seen him before…then again; I've left many people behind…" She frowned as well. "How odd…"

He wasn't sure exactly how to respond to this, and he stood, approaching the bed as well. "Well... maybe he'll recognize you, too." He was getting slightly frustrated at all the unanswered questions that were popping up from the kid's strange sleep. "He was awake a little while ago... he said something about getting into a fight and he kept calling me 'Ace'..."

"'Ace'..." Robin repeated, eyes growing distant for a moment as she fought to remember. Then she shook her head again. "Doesn't ring any bells. There's a chance we'll find out when he wakes up though." She glanced over to Zoro. "What do you plan on doing with him once he wakes up?" She inquired.

Zoro made a face. The hell kind of question is that?

"Don't know," he answered levelly. "I guess I'll see if he's got a home to go back to and walk him or something to make sure he gets back alright... maybe this Ace person is waiting for him." He frowned.

"Indeed…maybe…" The women nodded, tapping her chin with her thumb. She turned to leave. "But what happens if he has no home to return to? What will you do then? You're certainly in no position to be taking in strays at the moment, so what will you do?" She murmured quietly before slipping through the door again and closing it before Zoro could answer.

Taken rather aback by the remark, Zoro stared at the closed door. What did she mean, he wasn't in a position to take in strays? His eyes wandered back down to the kid. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he sighed. He'd take in the damn kid if he had to. He wasn't going to just cast some young kid with an apparent penchant for being beaten up out into the streets again. He'd prove her wrong. He could take care of some stray kitten.

"Yeah, I'll show her," he said decidedly, brushing a bit of hair from the kid's face.

It probably didn't even matter. Kid probably had a home and parents who were worried about him...

About half an hour later there was a thump as someone kicked Zoro's door, which was followed by a yelp. "Oooow! Oi, Zoro!" This time it was a slightly snappish girl's voice. "Open the door, my hands are full!"

Zoro had moved back into his chair, and had nearly dozed off until he heard the loud thump against his door, followed by what was unmistakably Nami's irritated yell. Christ. He had never had this many visitors in one night, and it just happened to be so ironically the night he most wanted to be left alone. "Yeah, yeah," he called back, reaching over to pull open the door. "What is it?"

The eighteen-year old girl hobbled in, wincing as she set down a tray with a bowl of stew, some rolls, and a glass of water and rubbed her flip-flop clad foot. Flip-flops were not the best shoes to wear when one was kicking doors, she has discovered. She was clad in a pleated white mini-skirt and a blue t-shirt with the words "Can't Concentrate" written on the front, along with the picture of an orange. She also wore a collared, button-up, blue and white checker-patterned t-shirt over this, which she left open.

"Ugh…Vivi said that you were up here with some kid that you picked up off the streets and made Sanji-kun save some food for you. I brought it up so I could take a look at him." She said as she stood upright again, leaving the tray on the floor, and walked over to the bedside. She leaned over a bit as she peered over the boy, a lock of orange hair falling into her face.

"Awwwww, he looks so sweet." She cooed, ruffling the boy's hair. "I'm betting he becomes trouble once he wakes up though." She said as she stood, looking back at Zoro and grinning. "If you don't want him, can I adopt him? He looks like the type of sap who would do whatever I tell him for a few small things…"

Glancing to the stew, Zoro suddenly decided that, enticing as the smell was, he wasn't exactly hungry. Still, maybe he'd feel a bit more in the mood later, and he didn't say anything to refuse the food.

He glanced to her for a moment, then to the kid in the bed, before his eyes widened at her words and he turned his gaze back to her.

"...what?" he asked, almost sure he had to have misheard. "What do you mean, if I don't want him? What, is he some kind of possession or something?"

Nami laughed and shook her head. "No, no, he's not. I didn't mean it that way. Tsk, cranky tonight, aren't you?" She smiled mischievously at him before turning and walking towards the door, giving Zoro a dismissive wave. "Never mind, forget it." She paused at the door, however.

"You're not the type I'd picture to pick up strays. Maybe help them, but I wouldn't expect you to keep him all to yourself. What's so special about this one?" She asked, leaning against the door.

Watching her warily, Zoro was unsure where this question was leading. He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. "I never said I was keeping him, I don't know why everyone's jumping to conclusions."

Nami just gave another mischievous grin before stepping through the door and closing it behind, parting with the words "You owe me five bucks for carrying your dinner up, Zoro!"

He just sat there in silence as the door closed for a moment, before her words sunk in. "Wait a minute," he said slowly, then he quickly jumped up from his seat, going to the door and flinging it open. "Damnit, Nami!" he yelled down the hall, but she was already gone.

Cursing, he slammed the door shut and turned back towards the bed.

A few minutes after Nami had taken her leave, the injured boy began to stir. He let out a small moan, shifting in position. "Hnnn…"

Blinking, Zoro took a few steps forward, unsure of what to do. Would the kid actually stay awake this time? Still, he didn't want the kid to wake up and be confused, so he went over to the bed, and sat quietly against the edge of the bed. "Hey... you awake this time or what?"

"Naaa…I…think so…"The boy mumbled weakly as he slowly opened his eyes, his pupils this time regular sized. He blinked up at Zoro for a moment. "Oh…..hi…" He said with a weak grin. "Who're you?"

Sighing in slight relief, the man looked over the boy's young face, then frowned a little. "Looks like you're alright," he mumbled. "I'm... Roronoah Zoro. And who exactly are you?" He was eager to get an answer to all those lingering questions, maybe get the kid some food and then get him back home, so he could return back to his normal life.

The boy blinked for a moment before his grin widened. He had no idea who this person was or what he was doing here, but the guy's name sure was spiffy! "Me? I'm Monkey D. Luffy, nice to meet you!" He said brightly.

**

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To be continued…**


	2. Interesting

**-Tangled Web-**

**A role-play/joint-fic by Digitaldreamer and Constable Remington**  
**Chapter Two: Interesting...**

_Well, it seems people actually enjoy this enough to review for it, and though we haven't gotten many reviews, some people have asked for this continue and the whole reason I'm putting this here is so people can read it, not so I can drool over reviews. I do appreciate people who do review, however, as it helps me know that you guys like the fic. So please, keep em' coming!_

_So here's the second chapter, coming right where we left off. Huzzah and joy._

* * *

The boy blinked for a moment before his grin widened. He had no idea who this person was or what he was doing here, but the guy's name sure was spiffy! "Me? I'm Monkey D. Luffy, nice to meet you!" He said brightly.

"Lu...ffy..." Zoro repeated slowly, frowning a little. "Hey... I found you, uh, in the alleyway... are you... are you alright?" He wasn't sure exactly how to bring this up. The boy seemed to be acting pretty happy, which was certainly contrary to his earlier behavior. "Does it hurt...?"

Luffy frowned for a moment, cocking his head to the side. Oh yeah, those constant pains coming from just about everywhere… "Yeah…it hurts a bit." He said, his brain finally registering that he seemed to be covered in bandages. He looked back to Zoro, blinking and looking confused. "What was I doing in an alleyway?" He asked.

Zoro blinked, slightly leaning back from Luffy. "...wait, you don't know, either?" He sighed. "I was kind of hoping you would tell me. You get kidnapped or something like that?"

Luffy frowned, brow furrowing as he tried to remember. "Ummm….ahhh…" He finally gave Zoro a blank look and shrugged. "I don't know."

Seemingly irritated by the boy's own incapability to answer the simple questions, he frowned. "Well... do you want to have something to eat?" He gestured to the floor, where Nami had left his tray of food. "You can have some food and then I'll take you home...?"

Luffy's face lit up. "Food? That'd be great!" He cried, the other half of Zoro's question immediately losing Luffy's interest in favor of food. The boy made as if to get up to get the food, however this jostled several of his wounds and the boy yelped in pain.

Blinking at the sound of Luffy's cry, Zoro quickly reached over to push his shoulders down against the mattress. "Hey, hey, you stay there, alright?" he asked, slightly unnerved. "Just lay here or you'll hurt yourself more. You don't want to tear open those wounds." He glanced towards the tray on the floor. He didn't want the food to get too cold, however, and so he slowly pulled his hands away. "Hang on a second." Moving from the bed, Zoro retrieved the tray and went back to where he had been before, settling carefully on the covers, looking down at the boy with a thoughtful expression on his face. He finally sighed. He guessed... he would probably have to feed the damn kid.

How weird.

Still, Zoro grabbed the spoon, ladling some stew into it and carefully holding it out towards Luffy.

"Open up."

Luffy blinked at the spoon that was held carefully out to his face for a moment before resigning and opening his mouth. Hey, as long as he was getting food, he wasn't going to complain as to who was feeding him. Though he didn't get why this Zoro guy was feeding him, he could feed himself. But he figured Zoro had his reasons, and that was that.

This was weird, but Zoro didn't really mind. The quicker the kid could heal, the sooner Zoro would get his bed back. "So, where do you live? I can take you back there when you're done or whatever."

Luffy swallowed before blinking at Zoro for a moment. He scratched his head, and then his face fell. "…um…I kinda don't remember…" He said, giving a sheepish grin, a hint of hopelessness in his tone.

Stopping, Zoro stared at the kid. "You... you don't remember?" he asked incredulously. He couldn't understand how the kid could just not remember where he lived. "Well... you know your name at least, so maybe we can look it up somewhere," he suggested. Feeding the kid was like taking care of an infant, and Zoro frowned at the thought, hoping to god that someone wouldn't decide it was a good time to waltz right into his room.

And of course, hoping that automatically jinxed him. The door swung open as Usopp stuck his head into Zoro's room. "Oi Zoro, Sanji wants your dishes so-" He stopped and stared for a moment at the boy sitting up in bed, and Zoro sitting on said bed, feeding the boy as if he were an infant. Usopp stared, bewildered. Then his face became a grin.

"Oooohhh, he's awake!" The seventeen year old cried, loud enough that everyone in the entire house probably heard.

_God-fucking-damnit._

Zoro quickly pulled the spoon from Luffy's mouth, shoving the tray down on the bedside table, hoping wildly that no one else could have seen his small moment of tenderness or whatever. Rising from the bed, he approached the other man. "Usopp," Zoro began, annoyed. "There's a wonderful invention that lets someone know when you're about to enter their room." A light pause, for dramatic purposes. "It's called knocking. You should try sometime. All the cool kids are doing it." He ended this statement with a rather withering glare towards his schoolmate. Within moments, Vivi had rushed from her room, down the hall and towards Zoro's door.

"Is he really awake? Is he alright? Oh, the poor dear, someone should make him something warm to drink after lying out in that rain--"

Luckily, Sanji was right behind her, and he grinned. "Anything you want, Vivi-chan!" he called, hopping back down the stairs, and she smiled in his direction before her attention was again focused on the young boy. Pushing past Usopp and Zoro both, she kneeled beside the bed once more, reaching up to feel the back of her hand against Luffy's forehead and take his pulse.

"Poor thing, how are you feeling? Are you alright?"

Usopp gulped as Zoro glared at him, trying to make himself appear as small as possible. "S-sorry..." He whimpered, ducking behind Nami as she rushed in as well, holding a bottle of still-opened nail polish in one hand.

"This had better be good; I nearly dumped this bottle of nail polish because you surprised me. It cost me two hundred bucks, if I drop it you owe me three times that Ussop." Nami growled in an almost demonic voice. Usopp yelped and ducked behind the chair Zoro had originally been sitting in with a squeaky "Yes ma'me!"

After sending Usopp a final glare Nami turned her attention to the boy in the bed, crossing the room so she could peer down at him. "Doesn't look too intelligent…but he's cute! Can we keep him?" She said with a grin.

"Ah, he's awake." Robin commented as she poked her head into the room to see what the commotion was all about.

Luffy blinked as the entire household population entered the room, beamed, then focused on Vivi as she began speaking to him. "Um…Aside from kinda hurting all over I guess I'm okay." He said with a shrug.

"The hell is all this!" Zoro asked, annoyed. "Is it National Parade in Zoro's Room Day or some shit I didn't know about?" He clenched his fists, moving back into a corner as the entire house made their way into his tiny room. This had to be against some kind of goddamn fire hazard.

And then Sanji came in, too, handing Vivi the steaming mug of hot chocolate, which she smiled and thanked him for.

"Well, I'm sure you'll feel better with just a little bit of bed rest. Don't worry at all, we'll all take good care of you, and you can stay here in Zoro's room, he's a very nice man."

Zoro and Sanji snorted at the same time, then caught each other's gazes in a glare.

Vivi ignored this, pushing the mug into Luffy's hand. "Careful now, that's very warm. It'll make you feel much better after all that rain."

Luffy blinked down at the mug for a moment, then took a sip. He swallowed, eyes widening. "Wooooow, this stuff is good!" He cried, taking a larger sip.

Nami chuckled. "You like that, huh?" She asked, propping her elbows on the bed and leaning against it. Luffy nodded enthusiastically, taking another sip.

Usopp grinned, popping up from behind the chair and walking over. "I'll bring some up to you later if you want any more! As a matter of fact, anything you want, just ask me! I'm the Great Usopp-sama; I've been here for ages!"

"You only moved in four months ago, Usopp." Nami pointed out in the background, but he ignored her.

"I know where everything in this house is and I can get you anything you want! I am known for many heroic deeds all over town, people call me the Great CAPTAIN Usopp-sama!" He declared, posing dramatically.

Luffy's brows crinkled. "_Captain _Usopp-sama?" He repeated. Usopp nodded enthusiastically. "Wow! That's so cool!"

Ussop beamed. "Yup! I'll be sure to tell you of my many great and heroic deeds later! In the mean time, just call for the Great Usopp-sama if you need _anything_!"

Nami rolled her eyes and grabbed Usopp by the hood of his fishnet jacket, pulling him away. "Come on 'Usopp-sama'; don't talk the kid to death." She said, rolling her eyes.

Robin had walked into the room and pulled up Zoro's desk chair, sitting down in it and staring at Luffy silently.

"Nami-saaaaan!" Sanji shouted, prancing out of the room. "I made you some too, it's in your room! Just for your gorgeous self to enjoy!" His loud praisings could be heard all the way down the hallway, and Vivi blinked after him, laughing a little.

Zoro, however, had ignored the idiot cook completely, his gaze focusing instead on the woman across the room. He didn't particularly like the way she was looking at Luffy, and he wondered what could possibly be going through her mind.

"Well..." Vivi looked around. "Just let me know if you need anything," she began graciously to Luffy. "It seems that everyone is happy to help." With that, she stood and exited the room. "Forgive me; I have homework to get done." She left quickly, leaving the three alone in an awkward silence.

"Oh yeah…that's right..." Usopp said, deflating a little. "I have algebra homework." He made a face, heading towards the door, then turned to grin at Luffy again. "Just remember to call for the Great Usopp-sama!" He said before exiting.

Nami glanced down at her nails. "And I certainly won't look good with only three nails painted and I have a speech to write. I'll see you both later." She drawled, blowing lightly on her nails before taking her leave as well.

Luffy sipped the last of his hot chocolate, sighing happily. "Wow Zoro, you sure do have a lot of cool people here!" He commented, grinning at the man.

Robin chuckled. "I must admit…we certainly have a few odd boarders here…" She commented, folding her perfectly manicured hands in her lap as she eyed Luffy.

Luffy laughed. "They're cool!" He repeated. "I like them!"

Shifting strangely under Luffy's gaze, Zoro only nodded gruffly, not even finding a reply to something to strange. He didn't really think his housemates were "cool". He personally found them seriously annoying.

Still, he kept an eye on Robin, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Anything interesting I'm missing out on?" he finally asked her.

Robin chuckled. "Cranky today, aren't we Swordsman-san?" She teased, still watching Luffy thoughtfully.

Luffy cocked his head to the side and stared back, wondering why on earth this lady was staring at him.

Finally, the women propped her elbows on her knees and leaned her head on her hands. "Do you know who beat you up?" Luffy shook his head. "Or why you were in the alleyway?" The boy shook his head again. Robin frowned.

"Where do you live?" She inquired.

Luffy shook his head again. "I dunno."

Robin's frown deepened. "So you don't remember." Another shake of the head. "Do you remember anything before now?"

"Nothing." Luffy replied.

Robin leaned towards Luffy a bit, sapphire eyes locking with dark chocolate. "You're telling me you don't remember _anything_ before waking up here."

"Nope. Absolutely nothing."

Robin leaned back in the chair again. "How interesting..." She murmured.

Zoro's eyes slightly widened at the news. He had thought maybe the kid had just moved here or something and that was why he didn't know his address, but never had he imagined that there could be a possibility of the kid not knowing anything at all. He turned his gaze towards Robin, but she wasn't looking back, and Zoro found himself again wondering what could possibly be going on in that head of hers. Finally, he decided to break the strange silence.

"He knows his name, so we're gonna look up his records. Probably tomorrow. Then we'll see where he lives and return him back where he belongs. I'm sure he's got people who are worried about where he is."

Robin nodded. "Yes….people who are worried about where he is…" She repeated, clicking her nails, still looking at Luffy. "Luffy, do you remember anyone named Ace?"

Luffy's brow furrowed. "Ace? Who's that?"

The women rose a perfectly arched eyebrow. "I was hoping you could tell us." She replied.

Luffy shook his head. "Nope, I don't remember anyone named Ace."

Robin's thoughtful frown remained on her face. "I see…how strange…you awoke earlier and apparently thought Swordsman-san was this 'Ace'." She said as she gestured in Zoro's direction.

The boy blinked in confusion. "I woke up earlier?"

"You don't remember that either?"

Luffy shook his head again.

Zoro threw up his hands in frustration at the boy's loss of memory, leaning against his corner and eventually bringing his hands back down to cover his face. God.

"You woke up. You said you were hurt. You asked if we got in a fight again. You called me "Ace"," Zoro elaborated.

Luffy cocked his head to the side, staring blankly at Zoro. "I did?"

Robin gave a slow nod.

"Nope, don't remember any of it." The boy said with a shrug, fiddling with a loose string on the comforter.

"…I see. Interesting, very interesting." Robin murmured as she stood, straightening her skirt. "Perhaps you have some form of amnesia. Hopefully you'll gain your memory back, but even if you do, we may as well check your records once you're better." She said as she walked out the door, closing it behind her with a "Good night."

Zoro watched her shut the door, going after her and locking it. He shook his head some, flicking on the lamp and settling back in his chair. Picking up his history book, he flipped through the pages, finding the packet and beginning to work again, in silence. Finally, he stopped, glancing up to Luffy. "You can finish your food if you want or whatever. There's still some left in the bowl."

"Okay." Luffy said brightly, grabbing the bowl from the bedside table along with the spoon. He took a large bite of the stew, swallowed, and grinned. "Man this stuff is good!" He declared, taking another bite, looking at Zoro as he did so. "Is that lady always like that?" He inquired after swallowing.

"Huh?" The teenager looked up from his packet, then shrugged, looking away. "Yeah, I guess," he murmured. "I have her as a teacher." He picked up the packet and waved it in demonstration. "United States History. Most boring class in existence. Completely unnecessary. She's usually like this." He paused, jotting down an answer. "I don't really like it." Taking a few more silent moments to finish the homework, he glanced towards Luffy, figuring he'd have to sleep on the floor or something.

Luffy stared back at Zoro, then yawned widely. He scratched his head, eyes drooping a bit. "Eh….sorry…guess I'm still kinda tired…" He mumbled, sounding a bit sheepish.

"I am too, kid," he said gently, going to the closet and digging around. He pulled out a simple blanket and snatched an extra pillow from the bed, laying them on the hard wooden floor. It didn't exactly look comfortable, but he guessed it would have to do... Flopping down on the blanket, he sighed, kicking off his boots and pulling off the poncho he was still wearing to reveal a rather muscular body clothed in tight-fitting white tank-top and simple black pants.

The boy blinked, cocking his head to the side as he watched Zoro flop down. "You're gonna sleep on the _floor_? Isn't that kinda uncomfortable?" He asked, sounding a bit concerned.

"What else am I supposed to do?" he grumped back, looking up at the boy. "You're in my bed and there aren't any extra rooms." It wasn't comfortable in the slightest, but Zoro knew he could make do. Still, he didn't need the kid reminding him.

Luffy pulled his blanket-covered knees up to his chest and propped his head on top of them, smiling. "Well, you could always sleep next to me if you wanted, I don't want _you_ to be uncomfortable cause' you're letting me use your bed and all."

Zoro watched him uncertainly. On one hand, the floor really was uncomfortable. On the other, he didn't really know this kid, or trust him, and the offer seemed a little too generous to be taken so simply. Still, Zoro reasoned, he had been planning on sleeping on the floor, and that would only be a few feet further away, which really wouldn't matter if the kid decided to do something stupid like pull a knife on him in the middle of the night. He eyed the bed for a moment, before finally giving in. "Alright," he murmured, and he picked himself up off the floor, giving the boy a suspicious look before turning out the lamp and settling on the bed.

"Yaaaay." Luffy mumbled in a tired but happy tone. He beamed in the dark, scooting over so Zoro had some room.

"Hey, be careful," Zoro said, reaching out to place a hand over Luffy's shoulder in a feeble effort to encourage him to stay put. "You shouldn't move around too much."

"Oh yeah…" Luffy murmured as his wounds made themselves known again with a flash of pain. He glanced up at Zoro in the dark. "But I gotta move, I don't want you to be all squished-ed."

Not having anything to really add, Zoro merely grunted, trying to get comfortable. He tangled slightly in the sheets, making sure his back wasn't to the boy. You couldn't trust anyone, these days.

Luffy yawned again, curling up into a sort of ball as he fell back against the pillow facing Zoro. He was completely oblivious to Zoro's suspicion, and where the older man was suspicious Luffy was innocently trusting. Quite obviously he wasn't worried about Zoro attacking him in the night, and already it had worked its way into the boy's mind that as long as Zoro was around, everything would be fine.

He snuggled against the pillow, eyes falling shut as he lost the fight to keep them open any longer. "Night, Zoro." He mumbled, falling asleep almost instantly.

"Mmn..." Zoro closed his own eyes, thinking unhappily of school the next day and the test he had in Math. "Night, kid."

* * *

**To be continued…**

_And now, reviews!_

**KairiQueen:** _Wish, the iPod thing isn't until next chapter. I'm sorry, but you'll have to be patient. Glad you like the story so far._

**poxmaker:** _Oh yes, it will be fun. You ain't seen nuthin' yet._

**KuroKame:** _O.O Oh my God I got a review from KuroKame! (feels special) Glad you like this. Heh, I could see the last part in my head too. X3 Luffy's such an awesome character._

**Griever5:** _o.o Wow, people seem to really like Luffy's greeting. Heh, glad you like it so far._

**All of you who haven't reviewed**: _You don't have to review, but they motivate me to post chapters faster when I know more than four people are reading. So come on, did you like the fic? Dislike it? Have critiques? Bricks to throw for OOC-ness? Come on, press the button, it'll only take a bit of your time._


	3. Teasing and the Incident of the iPod

**-Tangled Web-  
A role-play/joint-fic by Digitaldreamer and Constable Remington  
Chapter three: Teasing and the Incident of the iPod **

_Well, here we are, chapter three of Tangled Web. Also known as the origin of the iPod Incident, but none of you know what I'm talking about save for a select few anyway. _

_I've noticed a lot of you have picked up mess-ups that I tend to miss while glancing over the chapter. Damn you nitpickers! No, not really. Really, I'm very thankful for your helpful little pokes and nudges and yells of "You missed a letter!", keep them coming. Any criticism is loved, as it helps me improve. (Constable doesn't need it, she's awesome enough I say.)_

_Well, now that Constable is acting as beta reader (Why didn't I think of this before? God, I'm an idiot.) hopefully you guys will have less to pick at and make me feel terrible about. X3_

_I've been doing Nami rather terribly, I've noticed, thank you for pointing that out TreeStar! I'll be sure to work on playing her better. ;;_

_I can't help but cackle insanely at all you readers' curiosity! Being the one behind the scenes constructing all of this for a change rocks so hard! I'm very happy that you'll all enjoy reading this as much as I'm enjoying writing it with Constable._

_So enough of my rantings, eh? Enjoy the chapter!_

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The soft blue hue of dawn peeked through the shades and lightened Zoro's room, casting shadows over the two sleeping forms under the covers. The room had a fairly peaceful air to it, filled only with the sound of deep breathing.

_BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP! _

The peaceful airwas broken by a loud series of beeps coming from the alarm clock on the bedside table, the time 5:00 am flashing on it's digital face in glaring red numbers.

Luffy groaned, peeking his head up and over Zoro to stare blankly at the thing making the loud noise. He then groaned, as the motion caused quite a bit of pain, and flopped back down onto the bed, gripping the covers and pressing his face into Zoro's chest as if that would make things better somehow.

The loud alarm woke Zoro, breaking him from his deep, dark dreams into a peaceful, sunny morning that was all too unwelcome by the man. His own groan of irritation matched Luffy's, and he was about to lift an arm to silence the damn thing when he felt sudden warmth get closer and push suddenly into his body. His eyes snapped open and he nearly fell off the bed, his arms wrapping quickly around the closest thing there was the steady himself -- Luffy. The man stayed right where he was, however. He looked surprised, and lay there like that strangely for a minute or two before he finally pried his arms away from the boy and reached over, turning off the alarm.

Luffy remained pressed against Zoro for a few more moments before finally pulling away and blinking up at Zoro groggily. "Mweeeee?" He mumbled sleepily.

Raising an eyebrow towards the kid, he sighed, slightly wriggling away from him. "Yeah, good morning to you, too," he answered. Pulling away from Luffy, Zoro stood from the bed, stretching, and went to his dresser to grab his wrinkled uniform.

Luffy groaned and pressed his face into the pillow. "…So tired…hurts….wanna sleep…" He whimpered.

"So go back to sleep," Zoro responded shortly, trying to smooth the cloth with his hands. "No one's keeping you. It's not like you have to go to school or anything." He sighed, glancing towards the door. "I, on the other hand, need a shower."

"…School?" Luffy repeated, picking his head up from the pillow to blink at Zoro. "So you're not staying here?"

He snorted, shaking his head. "What, you forgot about school, too? I've still got a few more months of pure torture 'til I finally graduate." He leaned towards the door. "You gonna be okay on your own?"

The boy looked a bit crest-fallen at the idea of Zoro leaving, but then he smiled. "Yeah, sure, I'll be fine." He chirped. Then he frowned. "So I'm gonna be all by myself here?" He scratched the back of his head and then grinned again.

"I know! I'll make something cool while you're all gone to thank you for taking care of me! It'll be cool!" He babbled as he made as if to get up, then yelped at the pain the motion caused.

Zoro was almost instantly beside him again; face frowning, firmly leaning over him and holding him, by his thin shoulders, to the mattress. "You just stay right here," he said gently. "You don't need to be jostling around and hurting your wounds." He pulled away, looking warily down at him. "You need to stay in bed today. None of this... getting up while no one's home. Alright?"

Luffy pouted at Zoro for a moment, then sighed and focused on a loose string in the comforter. "…Kay."

"Good." Zoro didn't need to spend his whole day (especially that history test-- fuck!) wondering if the house was in shambles. He moved back towards the door, unlatching the lock and pulling it open a bit. He gazed evenly at the boy. "I'll be back for my things in a few minutes," he said. "I don't want you to have moved from that spot." And with that, he was out the door and down the hall.

The good thing about getting up so early, Zoro noted to himself, was that he was the first to use the shower. Not only was he certain to have hot water, but he didn't have to wait for anyone to get out, either. He swung open the bathroom door and began to run the hot water, shutting the door behind him and pulling off his clothes.

Luffy stared at the door as it closed behind Zoro, hearing his footsteps go quieter as he went down the hall.

_"I don't want you to have moved from that spot."_ Zoro's words echoed in his head. Luffy frowned. On one hand, that command was just _asking _to be disobeyed. It was as if Zoro's words were a flashing neon sign saying "MOVE". Besides, it might be amusing, and it was just moving after all. On the other hand, if he moved Zoro might not be very happy, and Luffy wasn't exactly sure what would happen if he _did_ move. It could be not so bad, or it could be bad.

To move or not to move. Hmmm…

* * *

Climbing into the shower, Zoro stood under the warm water, letting it all wash down him. It felt nice on his stiff joints, and he lingered a moment under the downpour before grabbing for the soap to actually scrub himself down. Some shampoo that wasn't his sat on the shelf, and he quickly used it, lathering his short hair and washing it all out. He sighed in the warm steam of the shower, before finally forcing himself to climb out and turn the water off, pulling a towel from the rack. Zoro rubbed at his hair, drying it, before drying his body down and flinging the towel back against the rack, frowning at his school uniform. He pulled it on grudgingly, fixing up all the buttons, and ran a hand through his damp hair, opening the bathroom door and glancing down the hall.

* * *

Move.

Don't move.

Move.

Don't move.

Luffy frowned, fiddling with the loose string from the comforter in his lap. _It's so boring just sitting here...and there's a bunch of interesting stuff that I could get to if I just moved…and I'm sure I'm healed up enough by now…yeah…it didn't hurt too bad when I sat up. And it's not like Zoro would mind if I moved just a little...besides, he never said what would happen if I moved…alright, that's it, I'm moving. _

The boy's face immediately split into a grin and he rolled sideways off of the mattress, biting back a yelp as he hit the carpet with a thump. He lay there for a few moments; face scrunched up in pain, then gave a slightly pained grin and reached up to grab the side of the bed and pull himself into a sitting position. He let out a sharp breath as he sat up, teeth clenching as his various bruises and gashes protested against the strain. However, once this passed to a dull ache the boy grinned triumphantly.

Yes! He had moved! He gave himself a mental pat on the back and then glanced around. Luffy let out an 'Oooohhh!' and grabbed the nearest thing; a black iPod mini. Of course, Luffy didn't know it was an iPod mini, to him it just looked like a black rectangular thing with a white cord coming from it.

After looking at it a moment Luffy decided it probably wasn't edible, but it did have buttons that looked like they would be fun to press, and the white cord thing had these two little circle things that looked like they would be fun to put in his ears. So Luffy put the little white circular things in his ears (after several unsuccessful tries, in which he either missed his ear entirely somehow or the white circle things fell out) and stared down at the buttons.

After experimenting with several, he happened to glance at the screen and gasped. There were words on the screen! GASP! Luffy had no idea what the words meant, what the hell was a "Linkin Park" anyway? He shrugged and pressed a button, and it took him to a second list. Luffy stared blankly at the list for a moment, then sighed.

"This is boring!" He whined, pressing a button that looked a bit like a triangle and two lines to see if that would do anything.

Suddenly LOUD music blared from the white things in his ears, along with someone screaming VERY loudly. Luffy let out a loud cry of surprise, tearing white circle things that were blaring the loud noise into his ears and tossing the black box of mystery a few feet away. The boy hugged his knees and stared at the infernal black box, eyes wide.

Hearing Luffy's loud cry, Zoro quickly darted down the hall and swung open the door to his room just in time to see his iPod fly across the room and, thankfully, land safely in his chair. "What the fuck?" he asked aloud, and his eyes traveled across the room to rest on Luffy, who was very obviously out-of-bed, and cowering on Zoro's floor. Raising an eyebrow, Zoro walked fully into the room, shutting the door oddly behind him. He stared down at Luffy, unsure, at first, what to say. Finally, he got down on one knee in front of the boy, staring at him with the most disturbed expression on his face. "...Do I need to call a babysitter?" he asked slowly, reaching behind him to grab his iPod from the chair and flick it off, setting it back where it had been.

Luffy shook his head rapidly, eyes still wide.

"Good. Because I don't know one." And then, in one swift movement, he had picked Luffy up like an infant in his arms, and was sliding him carefully back down in the bed. "Stay put," he said firmly. "It's only for your own good." He glanced around the room before finding his bookbag. "I should be back around four. Don't get into any trouble. If you get hungry, Sanji should be around for a while; he's working nights this week."

Luffy nodded, falling back against the pillow, tired out from his little adventure. "…Kay." Okay, so Zoro had been right, moving had definitely been a bad idea, judging from the throbbing pain going through his whole body now. He fiddled with the loose string from the comforter for a few moments in silence, then spoke. "Sorry, Zoro."

Glancing back at him, Zoro stopped for a moment, before his face quickly became annoyed and he looked away. "It's... it's okay. It's fine. Just... yeah. It's fine. Just sleep. See you." He quickly rushed out the door, closing it behind him.

Sighing, he shook his head, making his way down the hall and staircase, following a scent of cooking breakfast that was slowly getting stronger and stronger the closer he got. Finally, he had arrived in the kitchen. Sanji was already busy, and Zoro briefly wondered if the blonde had gotten up even earlier than him. Looking up as Zoro entered, Sanji grinned, his smile bordering dangerously on a smirk, and Zoro only returned his gaze warily, unsure what to say.

"So? You came to ask for tips?" Sanji spoke, going back to his pan. Zoro raised an eyebrow, completely lost.

"...what?" he finally interjected, but Sanji's grin only widened.

"I'm glad you finally found somebody, Marimo," the cook softly elaborated, letting out a short laugh, and Zoro felt like he wanted to push Sanji's head against the stove burner.

Usopp walked down the stairs as Sanji spoke, and he immediately burst into fits of laughter, leaning against the doorframe of the kitchen. He was clad in his school uniform as well, frizzy hair pulled into a ponytail and a pencil placed behind one ear.

"H-he, he has a point Zoro." The junior said with a grin as he caught his breath. "You just _found _him in an alleyway all beaten up? Sounds pretty suspicious to me." He said, making a point to hurry over to the table to get something solid between him and Zoro's wrath should it come in physical form.

Sanji laughed loudly at this, shooting Zoro a winning grin. Zoro, meanwhile, was seething, his hands clenching into fists.

"The hell are you trying to get at?" he growled, glaring from Sanji to Usopp and back.

But no one answered him, until Sanji gave a light cough, which, to Zoro, sounded an awful lot like "rape!"

His face went red and he wished to god he had his katana, but unfortunately, they all lie upstairs, in the room with Luffy.

...Luffy.

Growling, the man turned on his heel, shouting a loud "Fuck you!" as a parting message and slamming the front door on his way out.

Robin's head snapped up from where she had just been unlocking her black BMW to see what the loud noise came from. She rose an eyebrow. "My my, _someone _woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning." She commented.

She stood, leaning against her car. "Where are you going at this early?" She asked, glancing at her watch. "It's only around five thirty-five, school doesn't start for another two hours and ten minutes."

Zoro stared at her silently for a few moments, trying to decide if he had the patience to deal with her. Deciding it'd be better to try and talk than to try and ignore her, and crossed his arms over his chest and glared. "Anywhere but here," he answered flatly, unabashed by her usually vexing attitude. "Anywhere where I can get away from those idiots."

Robin propped her elbow on the top of her car, placing her chin on her palm. "But aren't most people idiots anyway? By your attitude they all are, so it's going to be rather hard to find an idiot-free zone."

"Well then," he growled to her, face still rather pink from before, "I'd like to find a place not full of idiots who are accusing me of rape." Which really wasn't the first, or even last thing he had ever wanted to say to his history teacher.

Robin chuckled. "They're just teasing, Swordsman-san." She said with a shake of her head. "You really take things far too seriously sometimes."

"That doesn't change the fact that I'd rather not hear it," he spoke, irritated, and his grip tightened around the schoolbag in his hand. It was still dark outside, and he sighed, glancing back towards the house. Really, he could have stayed in his room a bit longer...

"So? I know you; you can be selectively deaf when you want to be." Robin pointed out. "At least, that's the case when you're in my class."

He glanced to her, eyebrow raising at the remark. "Well, you can't say the Oval Office catches my attention, sensei." The last word was rather sarcastic, and he grinned-- no, smirked back at her.

Robin chuckled again. "Oh, I can't imagine why." She replied, mostly being sarcastic as she full well knew by now that Zoro just wasn't the type to care for history.

Zoro glanced back towards the front door. Maybe he'd go back in and check on Luffy, make sure he hadn't gotten into any trouble. Zoro nearly moved forward at the thought, but scowled suddenly, holding himself back. Why did he care so much about this kid?

Still... something was bothering him, especially as he looked at Robin. He had forgotten something... but what?

"Fucking history book," he growled suddenly, going back inside without another word of explanation. He went quickly past the kitchen, not even giving Sanji the time to yell any kind of deflamatory remark his way before he was up the stairs and suddenly back in his room.

Luffy, staying true to his word, lay fast asleep on Zoro's bed. He curled up into a sort of ball, both hands lying next to his head on the pillow, black hair sticking in all directions. His breathing was slow and even, the comforter rising and falling with his chest.

Zoro instantly saw the need to be quiet, gently closing the door behind him. He cautiously tiptoed into the room, setting down his school bag. Two whole hours he still had before school started... the empty space in the bed beside Luffy was actually looking rather appealing, and, trying not to wake the boy, Zoro slid down beside him, sighing and thinking about nothing very important.

His eyes slid shut of their own accord, still rather exhausted from the restless sleep he had had the night before. His original plan had been to lie there for a bit and rest before getting up and walking to school, but it felt so warm and soft, much more so than usual... And before Zoro could stop himself, he had fallen fast asleep, curling close beside Luffy.

One hour and forty minutes later, there was a loud banging on Zoro's door. "ZORO! ZORO!" Nami's irritated voice was muffled a bit by the wood of the door, but still clear enough for one to grasp the murderous intent behind her words. "GET UP! SCHOOL STARTS IN THIRTY MINUTES! DO YOU _WANT_ TO GET IN-SCHOOL SUSPENSION FOR BEING LATE AGAIN?"

_No,_ he thought, very unwillingly breaking back into the world of the living. i _What I want to do is wring your irritating little neck._

Groggy, Zoro sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. "I hear you, I hear you already!" he yelled back. Damnit. Why couldn't Nami have just left him alone! He could have just slept right through school. That would have been perfectly fine with him...

The orange-haired girl rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Well, hurry up!" She called, beginning to walk away. Then she suddenly rushed back to Zoro's door. "Oh, and you owe me ten bucks for waking you up!" She added, then headed down the stairs.

Cursing loudly, the man jumped up from the bed, casting one final glance at Luffy before he grabbed up his bag and rushed down the stairs and out the door.

* * *

To be continued..

_And now, reviews!_

**KuroKame**: _Well, you're one of my favorite authors, so to me getting a review from you is a very big deal. This is breathtakingly good? (in shock) Wow, thank you so much for your uplifting comments. Indeed, we should be happy with what we get. X3 I am very happy with what I get._

**KairiQueen:** _There, there's the iPod thing! Are you going to leave a review that actually has to do with what's been written now? Ah, I'm just kidding. There's the part you've been waiting for, I hope you're happy._

**Kaaera:** _Nope, this exactly from the RP. There aren't any changes at all, I just copy what I think would be the right amount for a chapter, put it in a new document and add authors notes. That's it. Glad you think the fic is interesting._

**TreeStar:** _Glad you like the fic so far. Thank you so much for pointing out the Nami thing, I was doing so terribly with her. Hopefully I'm doing a bit better now._

_Actually, the last chapter wasn't really for Luffy to meet all the other characters. ;; It was mostly to establish that he remembers absolutely nothing. He will establish his relationships with the other characters too, but not for a bit._

_Actually, most of them are exactly the age for being in high school. Ussop's seventeen and a junior, he's mostly an art student and designs things around the school. He also runs his own webcomic, which is actually a mini-plot point later on. Nami's eighteen, so she's in her senior year and class president. Good for her. Vivi's also a junior, her father actually owns the boarding house, she just pretty much runs it since her father's busy running the Alabasta Oasis bottled water company. Zoro's nineteen and technically should be graduated, but he slept through all of his classes as a freshman so he's graduating a year late. Sanji isn't in high school; he's graduated and works at a restaurant called All Blue. They are all at the ages they're supposed to be in this fic; therefore technically most of them are not too old to be in high school. Close to graduating from it, but not out yet. And I just gave you a ton of info that I was saving for a few more chapters but eh, whatever._

_As for the Robin thing….shhhhhhhhhhhh, you weren't supposed to notice the plot point there! Yes, we do know this shouldn't work, yet it does. But it's a plot point, and if I explained it I'd be giving away several twists. So you get no answers. But yes, we do know this shouldn't work._

_Thank you for pointing things out though. Also, thank you very much for catching the Nami thing again. Glad you think the fic is promising._

**Griever5:** _o_.o Wow_, you caught a mistake that I didn't. Good job! I'm glad that we've got the character's personalities right…that's a very good thing. Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter._  
**  
Katiiey:** _Sha ha ha! The questions, the questions…and this chapter did nothing to solve them! Sha ha ha! Glad you like the fic._

**night-chan:** _O.O Holy crap, we got a review from someone from Germany! Sweet! Your English is very good. Yes, there will definitely be many funny situations! Yes there will be! I'm so glad that you like this fic._

**Everyone who didn't review:** _You made Chopper cry. X3 Nah, not really. I'm glad you're reading this fic, even if I don't know you are._

**Review!** _Every time someone reads this chapter and doesn't review, a puppy dies. Please, think of the puppies._


	4. Luffy's Adventures from the Bed

**-Tangled Web-  
A role-play/joint-fic by Digitaldreamer and Constable Remington  
Chapter four: Luffy's Adventures from the Bed **

_o.o Wow, you people really like this fic...I'm a bit shocked by all the reviews we got for the last chapter…wow. I feel so special that you're all enjoying reading this and are willing to take the time to review, thank you so very much! _

I figure I should warn you all right here…this chapter contains a bit of angst. I hope it isn't horribly wangsty, if it is just tell me. ;; Also, this chapter ends on a cliff-hanger, I'm warning you now.

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* * *

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Several long hours passed before Sanji had decided to cook some lunch, not forgetting their young guest, with a sort of amused snicker. He was bringing a plate of simple spaghetti up to the room, knocking the door before swinging it open, expecting to see the kid still asleep.

Luffy was indeed still asleep, practically buried under the covers as he snored quietly.

"This food had better not go to waste," Sanji muttered quietly, setting the plate carefully on the dresser. He turned towards the bed, staring at the form for a moment before yanking the covers up, pulling them slightly away. "Hey, wake up, kid." Sanji prodded him in the shoulder, careful not to touch him where a wound was visible.

"Hnnn…" Luffy mumbled, eyes cracking open to stare up at Sanji. "..Who're you?" He asked, brows furrowing in confusion.

"Name's Sanji," he muttered, standing fully from leaning over the boy, and taking a step back to flop into the chair. "I live here." He dug around his pocket, finding a cigarette and a lighter and placing the filter between his teeth, lighting the tip of the cigarette in one swift motion and leaning back, enjoying the flavour. Zoro would probably have a freak-attack of he knew Sanji was smoking in his bedroom -- but Zoro wasn't here, now was he? "Brought you some lunch." He gestured to the plate on the table

Oh. So this was the guy Zoro had been talking about earlier. Luffy blinked, sitting with a bit of effort and looking at the bed side table. His mouth widened into a grin that lit up his whole face. "Spaghetti!" He chirped happily. The plate of noodles and sauce may as well have teleported, judging from how fast it took for Luffy to get it from the bedside table to his lap. He began to inhale the noodles as if he were a human vacuum cleaner.

Sanji only watched with a mild sense of surprise and disgust, puffing quietly at his cigarette. Well. That had been interesting. "So," he began suddenly. "You feeling any better?"

Luffy nodded. "Yeah, I feel a lot better today!" He said, though his mouth was full so it came out sort of garbled. He swallowed. "'Cept it still really hurts to move so I guess Zoro was right when he said I shouldn't move." He said with a shrug.

Sanji only laughed, slightly amused at the possibilities when this was taken the wrong way, but he quickly shook his head. "Well, I'm sure you'll get better and better," he responded. Suddenly though, he grinned. "Hey, Zoro was talking to me this morning and he said something about you. But shh--" He leaned in slightly, giving the illusion that this was privileged information. "It's a secret, and you can't tell him I told you." He grinned. "But, he _really_ likes you. So I think you should definitely go for it!" And with that, he grabbed the empty plate, retreating back to his kitchen, trying hard to keep in his laughter.

Luffy blinked at the door, which had been left open after the cook's sudden retreat. Then he cocked his head to the side. "Zoro really likes me? Go for it? What?" He repeated to the empty room, sounding terribly confused. Well sure, he really liked Zoro too, but what did "go for it" mean? He frowned, pondering this for a moment.

_Zoro really likes me? What does that mean? So he likes me a lot…well, I like him a lot too, so that must be a good thing? But why's it a secret then?...What does go for it mean? _These questions whirred in Luffy's head for several minutes.

Unfortunately, Luffy's short attention span only allowed him to concentrate on something for a few minutes, so eventually these thoughts were tossed out the window for something more interesting. Like Zoro's door, which Sanji had left open.

Zoro seemed to prefer his door closed…and Sanji had left it open. Luffy didn't want to call Sanji all the way back up and make him close it. So maybe Luffy should get up and close it? But Zoro said not to get out of bed…but Zoro wanted his door closed, right? What would Zoro think if his door were left open when he got back from school? Luffy couldn't just leave it open like that! Surely getting up and moving was worth it if it was for closing the door. He'd just get up and close the door, Zoro would never know.

Having decided, Luffy eased himself over the side of the mattress and shakily onto his feet. However, the moment he put his weight on his legs they began to hurt terribly and ended up giving out underneath him, he just didn't have the strength at this point to stay standing. The boy crashed to the floor with a groan.

Okay, so now he was out of bed, but he was still nowhere near managing to close the door. That wasn't good, he had close the door. In order to get to the door, he'd have to move across the room…maybe if he just used the stuff in the room to help get himself across? That'd work…

Luffy reached up and grabbed the side of the mattress. Clenching his teeth, Luffy pulled himself to his knees, then to his feet. He gasped from the strain but if he ignored the pain racking though his body, it was tolerable. He somehow managed to make his way to the chair in the middle of the room, nearly falling a few times but managing to somehow make it far enough to grab at the back of the chair and collapse to his knees next to it.

Well…he was halfway now! Just a bit further and he could close the door and sleep! Yeah….sleep sounded good. But he couldn't sleep now! He shook his head as if trying to clear it, panting. "…Just a bit further…" He muttered, pulling himself to his feet once more and beginning to stagger to the door.

He could feel something warm dribbling across his stomach, he must've re-opened something. Maybe this wasn't worth it, Zoro probably wouldn't be happy that Luffy had managed to reopen several of his wounds and exhausted himself just to close his door…but he was too far to just turn back now.

The boy finally reached the door and collapsed to his knees again, breathing heavily, as if he had just run a marathon. He glanced up at the doorknob, it wasn't too far…he just had to reach up and close the door, then he could sleep like his body was screaming at him to. Just close the door.

Luffy clenched his teeth and forced himself to raise his arms above his head and push the door, crawling forward on his knees as he did so. He heard the wooden bottom of the door brush against the carpet for awhile, then with a final heave he heard a click as the door shut. He sighed in relief, pressing his forehead against the rough wooden surface. Now maybe he could sleep…

No…he couldn't sleep yet! Had to make it back to bed… Luffy's face twisted into a grimace as his fingers dug into the carpet. He scooted around so he was facing the bed and tried to force himself to his feet, only to find that he didn't have the strength for that. Well, there was always crawling.

So Luffy tried inching himself along the carpet. It was pretty slow, but at least he was making progress. Unfortunately, by this point any energy he'd had in his limbs was completely used up, and by the time he got to the chair they finally gave way and he collapsed face-first into the floor.

_Tired…can't sleep here…_ Luffy's eyelids felt heavy, and the boy finally lost the fight against them and they fell shut as he drifted into unconsciousness.

* * *

The hours passed as Luffy slept on the floor. It had just rolled into four o'clock, and Zoro approached and entered the house grumbling to himself over some stupid grade he'd received in English. What did he need to have English for, anyway! He knew damn good and well he was never going to England. Swinging open the front door, he looked around, seeming to be the first one home. Shrugging, he moved up the stairs, going towards his room. Swinging open the door, he stepped inside, setting his schoolbag against the wall and stopping suddenly. 

_I'm missing a Luffy-sized lump in my bed._

His eyes wandered down, and as soon as Zoro had seen it, he was at the boy's side. Luffy was asleep, but Zoro carefully, carefully scooped him up yet again, gritting his teeth and staring down at the boy's sleeping face. "I told you not to get up," he muttered, rather irritated -- but only to mask his worry. "Luffy..." Setting the boy against the mattress gently, he stopped when he noticed that the boy's bandages had several crimson splotches across them. Zoro's eyebrows furrowed and he cursed to himself.

Tomorrow, he'd just fucking have to stay home from school.

The first thing Luffy heard when he came to was Zoro's irritated voice, followed by the sensation of being placed back on the bed. Wait, what was he doing out of….oh yeah.

Luffy's eyes fluttered open as he looked up at Zoro. He gave a small, weak smile. "Hi Zoro...how was school?" He mumbled.

"Che..." He shook his head, trying to turn his pleadingly worried gaze into one of pure irritation. He ignored Luffy's question. "Why are you of bed?" he asked seriously. "You hurt yourself. I don't want you to get up again, alright? Not until you're healed..." He placed a hand over what bit of Luffy's hair wasn't buried in a pillow and ruffled it awkwardly.

"…Oh yeah...that…sorry about getting up, Zoro." Luffy mumbled, looking sheepish. "I had to get up though…Sanji brought lunch and he left the door open… and I didn't want to make him climb all the way back up the stairs just to close the door, so I tried to do it myself." He laughed quietly. "I got to the door but I couldn't make it back…sorry for worrying you, I won't get up again until I'm better, I promise."

_Oh, good, one more reason to beat Sanji's pretty little face in._

Zoro grunted in annoyance, moving away from Luffy and settling in his chair. "Yeah... alright," he muttered. "Listen, whenever you are feeling better, we're gonna go down and check out your records and see where you belong, alright?" He didn't particularly want to say 'goodbye' to the kid, but he was sure his parents or whatever would love to see him.

Luffy sighed and nodded tiredly. "…Zoro? If I don't live too far away, can I come and visit you sometimes?" He asked after a moment of silence, giving the older man a pleading look.

Looking slightly surprised, Zoro blinked, meeting Luffy's gaze and finally answering with a quiet nod. "Yeah," he responded. "Sure..." Though he couldn't imagine why... it wasn't like they were good _friends_ or anything...

Luffy grinned tiredly. "Great…I like being here with you…" He trailed off and yawned. "I feel kinda dizzy…can I go back to sleep?"

The man nodded some. "You don't have to ask my permission to go to sleep," he said, slightly confused. Turning some, he grabbed his bookbag, groaning inwardly at the thought of more homework. Robin was really piling it on...

Luffy yawned again, eyes falling shut. "Yeah, I guess I don't." He murmured before drifting back to sleep.

Zoro watched him quietly for a few moments. Luffy looked peaceful, something like a baby cherub when he was asleep. Feeling the beginnings of a smile tugging on the corners of his lips, Zoro quickly looked away and back down to his history packet. "G'night, kid," he muttered.

Afew hours later as the sun set outside everyone was apparently home, judging from the usual sounds of chaos coming from downstairs. Vaguely one could hear Nami screaming at Ussop to do the laundry, whom would insist that 'The Great Captain Usopp-sama' was too busy watching his new DVD to do laundry. This was followed by more screaming and banging noises. Finally Usopp's pained yelps stopped, so Nami had apparently gotten her way.

Annoyed with the noise, Zoro slammed his books down and stood, going to his door and flinging it open. He didn't bother to shut it again as he made his way down the stairs, pushing in through the kitchen to cast an annoyed glance around. "What the hell is wrong with you all?" he yelled, though the kitchen was empty. He was sure it would be heard somewhere. "No one can get any goddamn work done around here!"

Zoro thought of the katana up in his bedroom... it might be nice to head down to the rec center and get some practice with them... it felt like it had been far too long. Figuring his point had been made, he moved back up the stairs, going to his own room only long enough to get a glance at Luffy and grab up his swords. He then moved down the hall, knocking on Vivi's door.

The girl looked up from her book and gently set it down, going to the door and opening it. She looked up at Zoro and smiled.

"Roronoah-san," she acknowledged with a bow of her head. "Is there something I can do for you?"

"Yeah... I was gonna head down to do some training... I was wondering you could keep an eye on the kid for me..." He spoke in a sort of stammer, unused to having to ask favors.

"Of course," she responded with a smile, going back to her bed to grab her book and moving out the door. Zoro followed her down the hall. "I'll sit in your room and watch him, is that alright?"

He nodded some, and she moved into his room, taking a seat while he went down the stairs and out the front door.

Nami glanced up at Zoro from her spot on the couch, orange gel pen in her mouth. She was lying on her stomach at just the right spot on the couch so that if anyone else tried to sit on it they'd have to sit on her and risk her wrath. She rose an eyebrow as he walked past, then glanced at Usopp, whom was sulking on the floor as he folded socks. "Hey, Usopp.."

"Yes, _I know_." Usopp snapped. "Fold all of your socks in exactly that way, and if even _one_ is slightly out of place you'll kick my ass, _I know_!"

Nami chuckled. "No, no, it's not about the socks."

The junior blinked, looking back at her. "Eh?"

The orange-haired senior smiled. "Haven't you noticed? Zoro's been tenser than usual."

Usopp rose an eyebrow. "Really? And how's this a change?

Nami chuckled again. "It's kind of funny, don't you think? Zoro brings home some guy that he found in the alleyway, and suddenly he's tenser than usual, and he's definitely rather protective of the kid."

Usopp grinned. "It is pretty weird. What, do you think he likes him?"

Nami grinned mischievously. "Well, he never has shown much of an interest in girls…"

"And he did get pretty mad this morning when Sanji and I were teasing him about it…" Usopp added, twirling his index finger in the air.

Nami's grin widened. "Interesting, isn't it?"

"It is."

She nodded, twirling a lock of orange around her fingers as they sat in silence for a moment. "Well Usopp?"

"Hm?"

"Why aren't you folding my socks?" Nami asked, a dangerous tone leaking through her sweet façade. Usopp yelped and began folding Nami's various multicolored socks once more.

* * *

Hours passed, until it was dark and Sanji had returned from work. Zoro still hadn't arrived home. Dinner was set, and Sanji had joyfully informed Nami and Usopp, going up the stairs to tell Vivi and Robin, too. He paused, noticing Zoro's door was open, and peeked inside. Vivi was still reading her book, and he smiled to her. 

"Vivi-chan," he said sweetly. "It's time to eat."

"Oh..." The girl bookmarked her page, closing the book and setting it carefully against the dresser and smiling up at him. "Sanji-san, would you bring some up here for him? He needs to keep well-nourished, he'll recover faster."

"Of course, Vivi-chan!" he shouted happily, and Vivi smiled back.

"I'll go tell Robin it's time to eat," she said gently, and Sanji nodded, going out the door and down the stairs to get some of the food on a plate.

Vivi moved from the room and down the hall, stopping short at Robin's door and gently knocking.

"Robin? It's dinnertime."

Robin glanced up from grading papers at her desk when the knock came. She smiled, setting down her red pen and stood. "Alright Vivi-san, I'm coming." She said as she walked to the door and pulled it open. "I assume you won't be joining us since you're watching the boy?" She asked as walked past the younger girl.

"Oh... no, I can't." She smiled a little. "Though I did expect Roronoah-san to be back by now..." She frowned a little, as if troubled by this. "But I'm sure he'll be home soon." She was about to say something else when Sanji charged back up the stairs, holding a plate in each hand.

"I brought your food, Vivi-chaaaan!" he called, and she couldn't help but giggle a bit at his enthusiasm.

"Thank you, Sanji-san," she said gently, taking the plates of chicken and rice and moving back into Zoro's bedroom. She set the plates down on the dresser and moved to shake Luffy awake.

"Hnnn…" Luffy's eyes slowly opened, and then he blinked up at Vivi. "Oh….hi…you're Vivi, right?" He asked, face spreading into a grin.

She smiled to him, nodding some. "Yes, that's me." Glancing back to the dresser, Vivi grabbed up his plate. "It's dinner time. I brought you some food."

Luffy's eyes widened a bit and he sat up. "Food?" He repeated, looking hungrily at the steaming plate.

The girl laughed a bit, nodding and setting the plate carefully in his lap. A fork was balanced atop it. Vivi had already noticed the boy's attraction to food. "It's very good, I'm sure," she said gently, taking her own plate and sitting in Zoro's chair. "Sanji is a very skilled chef." With this, she began to quietly eat.

Luffy grinned, taking a bite of the chicken. "Wooooooooow…this is good!" He said, once again beginning to eat so fast he may as well have been inhaling it.

She watched him with a surprised expression on her face before she broke down into laugher. Suddenly, there was a knock on the open door, and she looked up, still giggling, to see Zoro standing in the doorway, drenched in sweat. He set down his three swords against the wall, raising an eyebrow.

"Did I miss a party?" he asked, slightly amused.

Luffy, whom had burst into laughter shortly after Vivi had (Fortunately nothing had been in his mouth at the time), shifted his focus to the doorway. "I dunno! She just started laughing, so I started laughing too!" He said through peals of laughter.

Zoro rose an eyebrow, shaking his head, and Vivi eventually forced her giggles down. "You were gone a long time, Zoro; did your training go well?"

He shrugged and grunted in response. "It was fine."

Smiling, she stood from the chair, carrying her plate. "Well, I'll leave you two alone." She moved out the door, down the hall, and down the stairs. Zoro stared after her, eventually snapping the door shut. Glancing to Luffy, he went to his dresser, digging around for a change of clothes.

"How's dinner?" he asked. "Did you sleep well?"

Luffy had finally managed to stop laughing and was shoveling rice into his mouth. "Dinner's really yummy! Sanji's an awesome cook!" He said with a rice-filled grin. "And I slept good!"

"Yeah, well," he muttered, still irritated at the chef, "enjoy it, 'cause it's about the only thing Sanji can do right. He's an idiot. Don't listen to anything he says." Finding some pajamas, he sighed. He'd definitely need a shower.

Luffy blinked, cocking his head to the side. 'Don't listen to anything he says'? Well, Sanji had said Zoro really liked him earlier…but he wasn't supposed to listen to anything Sanji said. Did that mean Zoro _didn't_ really like him? He frowned as he set the now clean plate onto the bedside table, not a single grain of rice left.

"I need to get a shower. You don't mind being alone a bit, do you?" Zoro looked to Luffy, completely unaware of what his words had meant to the boy.

Luffy's face fell a bit. _Maybe he doesn't want me around? Maybe he's sick of taking care of me? _He bit his lip, glancing down at his lap and fiddling with that elusive loose string on the comforter again. "N-no, of course I don't mind." He said, focusing on the small string between his fingers.

"Alright. I shouldn't take more than a few minutes. Just gotta clean off a bit..." And with this, Zoro was out the door, closing it gently behind him, and back into the bathroom. There were three bathrooms in the house, one downstairs that didn't have a shower, and the two upstairs that did. The boys used one, and the girls another, and usually you could tell which was which. No one had really bothered to clean up, and Zoro didn't really have the desire to, so instead of minding the mess, he turned the water on and shed his damp clothes, stepping into the shower and closing the curtain behind him. He turned towards the shower head, letting the water run and trickle down his muscles and wash the stickiness of the sweat away.

* * *

Luffy let out a sigh as he continued to fiddle with the string, his mind tumbling in rather depressing circles. _Sanji said Zoro really likes me. But Zoro said to not listen to anything Sanji said, so Zoro must not like me and I'm not supposed to "go for it", whatever that means. Zoro doesn't wanna be stuck in his room with me, so that's probably why he went to get a shower…maybe he's mad about the black box thing? But he didn't seem too mad about that…maybe he's just sick of taking care of me….so the sooner I can get up and walk, the sooner I can go home, and that's what's best for Zoro right? _

Luffy bit his lip, brows furrowing._ But I like it here…everyone here is so cool...especially Zoro. I don't really want to leave…but Zoro doesn't like me… _

The boy shifted a bit, sighing again. Then he happened to realize something. He hadn't gone to the bathroom since he'd gotten here…and it's been like, a day now. This meant one thing.

He really had to pee.

Well, crap. He had to get a bathroom to do that…which was probably down the hall somewhere…but in order to get there, he'd have to get out of bed. And Zoro didn't want him to get out of bed, and after his past two adventures Luffy agreed with him. So maybe he'd have to have someone help him…

But Zoro probably wouldn't like that. Zoro probably didn't like taking care of Luffy, which was why Zoro didn't like Luffy. So if Luffy got up and did it himself, Zoro would probably be happier never being the wiser about this little issue.

Looks like it's time for Luffy's adventure from the bed: volume three.

* * *

Breathing in the steam of the shower, Zoro sighed, leaning against the tile wall for a moment and thinking. Every muscle ached with the burn of training, and he took a moment to savor the strange sensation that he knew was making him stronger and stronger. His mind idly went over the day's events, pausing, suddenly, at what Ussop and Sanji had been teasing him about earlier. He frowned at the unpleasant memory, glad Luffy hadn't heard it. He hoped Sanji wasn't repeating crap like that anywhere, especially since he had stayed home with Luffy nearly all day long. Deciding that he'd just wash his hair too and skip the shower in the morning in favor of sleeping in, Zoro grabbed the tube of shampoo and scrubbed it through his short, bristle-like hair, working up a lather and letting it rinse out, the soapy suds trailing down his body.

* * *

Once again Luffy slid over the side of the bed, letting his bare feet hit the carpet. He bit his lip as he put his weight on his feet, pain once again coursing through his body. Fortunately, it seemed the past few hours of sleep had healed him a bit and given him a bit of his strength back, and the food hadn't hurt either. Thus instead of collapsing like he had earlier, Luffy stood shakily on his feet. 

"I can probably make it to the bathroom if I try really hard…" He said to himself, breathing a bit quicker than normal.

He staggered across the room, stopping at the chair to keep himself from collapsing, then made it to the door. Luffy twisted the knob and pulled the door open slowly, then peeked out. He glanced down one way, and then down the other way of the strange hallway. Fortunately, no one was upstairs at the moment, and Zoro was probably still busy with his shower.

He spotted two doors not too far to his left across the hallway, one open and one closed. Judging from the noise of a shower running behind the closed one, Zoro was probably there. The other door was left ajar, and Luffy could see a bathroom beyond it…

Luffy took a deep breath, then limped into the hallway. He nearly lost his balance and staggered sideways, slamming into the wall. He managed to keep himself from collapsing; however, using the wall to keep himself standing upright. The boy let out a grunt of pain and began to inch his way along the wall towards the bathroom.

After a minute he finally made it through the door. Luffy pushed it closed behind him and collapsing to the linoleum floor, panting. "Well…at least I'm not bleeding like last time…" He said to himself with a grin, looking around. The bathroom was fairly clean, with the towels neatly folded and a multicolored throw-rug on the floor. The shower rack had dozens of shampoo bottles and shower gels, forming a sort of rainbow of colors that peeked out from behind the sparkling shower curtain.

"…Wow…nice bathroom…" Luffy commented, pushing himself to his feet and staggering over to the toilet.

Nami walked up the stairs, humming lightly to herself. She planned on getting a shower and going to bed early, as a girl like her needed her beauty sleep and she had to be at school earlier than usual the next day. She headed to the girls bathroom, only to pause at the closed door. Weren't Vivi and Robin still downstairs? Then who was using the girls bathroom?

She frowned as she heard the sound of the toilet flushing, followed by the sound of the faucet running. Then her eyes narrowed and she pounded on the door. "Usopp? You're not using the girls bathroom again are you?" She shrieked.

"I'm still folding your socks, damnit!" Usopp's annoyed voice came from down the stairs.

Nami blinked. "Then who's using the girls bathroom?" She asked as she turned the doorknob and flung the door open. The sight that met her was Luffy, on his knees in front of the still-running sink, breathing quickly and looking as if he had just run a marathon.

Nami yelped in surprise, rushing in. "LUFFY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN THE GIRLS BATHROOM?" She demanded at the top of her lungs.

* * *

**To be continued…**

**KuroKame:** _X3 Yes, Luffy has been traumatized for life, he'll be staying far away from iPods from now on._

J: _Gah! No dancing, please! It's disturbing…y-you can just beg, no need to dance. O.o;;_

**Em182:** _O.O Holy crap, I'm on someone's favorite authors list? Wow, I'm honored. ;; You should fave Constable too, since she wrote this too you know. Yes, Luffy's stupidity astounds and amazes people._

**Griever5**: _Glad you liked Sanji and Ussop's teasing. Vivi's not awake yet. noddu noddu_

**KairiQueen: **_Ack, I hurt you? O.o I'm sorry! XD Yes, Zoro is a rapist in denial. And yes, Robin calls Zoro "Swordsman-san" in the manga. She calls everyone by their positions on the ship, followed by "-san". Wow, our writing blends as one writer? You're right…that is kinda creepy, though it is a good thing I suppose._

**Barkkit:** _o.o You laughed at our sappiness? Does that mean we do serious stuff badly? You love this story like your cats…um…yay?_

**Katiiey:** _XP Yes, but if Luffy followed Zoro down the stairs he probably would end up passing out or something…heh._

**TreeStar:** _No, no, you didn't seem like you were coming down hard at all. Besides, you helped me fix things, which is good. Glad you thought the chapter was great._

**night-chan:** _Heh, Luffy is sweet, isn't he? Glad you liked the conversation between Zoro and Robin, I enjoyed writing it and the stuff between Luffy and Zoro as always._

**Kaaera:** _Whoops! (fixes) Damn you nitpickers, never letting me make my mistakes in peace. X3 Nah, really, thank you._

**R-E-V-I-E-W!** _You know you want to! Hey, that kind of rhymed…_


	5. Love is a fruit?

**-Tangled Web-**  
**A role-play/joint-fic by Digitaldreamer and Constable Remington  
Chapter five: Love is a fruit? **

_Once again, I seem to be getting complaints about Nami. ;; I'm working on her, folks, this was actually written before anyone got on my case for Nami's horrible PMS, so I'm trying to fix it. _

But actually last chapter she was just mad at Ussop because he wouldn't fold the laundry and it was his job, so she was making sure he did it right. As for one she yelled at Luffy, she wasn't mad. O.o;; She was just startled, wouldn't you be startled if someone was in the girls bathroom and you opened the door and found a nearly unconscious, beaten up guy in there? Yeah, thought so.

So I hope Nami's better this chapter.

* * *

Hearing the noise from the next room, Zoro stopped from where he was drying himself off and blinked. Nami was screaming again. He paid no real attention to it until he heard Nami screaming Luffy's name, and then he quickly finished pulling on his clothes and ducked out of the still-steamy bathroom to quickly slide next door, looking bewilderedly down at Luffy and Nami. He felt something inside him drop sharply at the sight of Luffy on his knees and gasping like that. Cursing to himself, he more of less shoved Nami out of the way and quickly scooped the trembling boy up in his arms yet again. He hadn't even thought about Luffy needing to go to the bathroom -- how could he have been so stupid! 

"Leave him alone, can't you see he's hurt!" he asked harshly, his arms tightening around the boy. "It's not like he could have made it down the stairs!"

Luffy blinked in surprise as Zoro scooped him up for the third time that day, his body pressed against the older man's chest. Not that he minded being in this position, if he could he'd gladly have stayed there, to him Zoro's arms felt better than anything else would have at that moment. But now Zoro was stuck taking care of Luffy again, and he'd probably be all irritated like was before, and now Zoro would probably go from not liking Luffy to hating him or something. Or at least, that's how the equation worked out in Luffy's clouded mind. The boy bit his lip, face buried into Zoro's shirt.

Nami winced as she took in the sight of the boy, folding her arms as Zoro picked the shaking boy off of the floor. "I can see that…." She sighed, running a hand through her hair and walking across the pink throw rug to the two of them, placing a hand on Luffy's forehead for a moment, to ensure he didn't have a fever and wasn't going to die on them out of the blue. _And Vivi said he was starting to look better too…_

She sighed, turning away. "Sorry for yelling, that just startled me is all. No, I doubt he could have made it down the stairs, and it's not like he knew it was the girl's bathroom anyway." She gave a soft smile before frowning again and turning to glare at Zoro.

"Well why didn't _you_ take him downstairs then, Zoro? Obviously either you didn't take into account that the guy's going to have to pee at some point, or maybe you assumed he could walk himself?" The orange-haired girl shook her head as she glared at Zoro. She pointed towards the door. "Go on, get out of here and go take care of him, I need to take my shower and I think you've got things under control." She said, expression softening a bit. Even when she tried to cover up her concern and sound cross, she couldn't seem to pull it off with the sight of an exhausted Luffy cradled in Zoro's arms.

Zoro didn't feel like explaining himself in the least to the woman. He only glared in response to her before his arms again tightened to hold Luffy closer. Turning swiftly on his heel, he traipsed down the hall and back to his door, kicking it open and scooting inside, using his foot to shut it loudly behind him in anger. He paused, looking down at the boy. For some reason, he liked the weight in his arms and didn't really want to set him down just yet.

"Hey... are you okay?" The swordsman felt slightly responsible for this whole situation, and he sighed. "I'm sorry. I should have thought about you needing to go."

Luffy blinked in surprise, looking up at Zoro. "_You're _sorry?" He repeated, sounding surprised. He had expected Zoro to be mad, certainly not apologetic.

The man nodded, crossing the room and gently setting Luffy once more against the soft comforter of the bed. "Yeah... I can't believe I didn't even think about you." He sighed. How could he have been so careless to Luffy's needs? He felt like a complete idiot. "Are you hurt?"

Luffy stared up at Zoro for a moment before shaking his head, still looking quite surprised. "D-don't worry about it…" He said with a shaky smile. _He feels bad…maybe he does like me? But what if he really doesn't? What if he actually really hates me? Maybe he's just hoping I'm not hurt so I can leave sooner.. _The boy gave a shuddering sigh, small tears beginning to form at the corners of his eyes.

Noticing Luffy's tears, Zoro raised an eyebrow, certain that the boy was lying to him and that he actually was hurt, and badly, and that was the reason he was tearing up. "Hey... whoa, what's wrong?" He quickly kneeled beside the bed, overcome with worry for the boy. He ran his palm carefully over Luffy's forehead, checking for a temperature just in case he was sick, too. "Where does it hurt?"

"N-nowhere." Luffy replied, sniffling as he tried to keep his composure. "I'm not hurt."

Zoro was beginning to get slightly frustrated, certain that Luffy was lying to him in order to keep his pride or something. "Then why are you crying?"

"'Cause you don't like me." The boy replied, biting his lip and looking away from the older man.

Pausing for a moment, Zoro stared, completely confused. "Wait, what? What makes you think I don't like you?" He was completely lost. Since when had this even been an issue?

Luffy sniffled again. "Because Sanji said that you really liked me and to 'go for it', and I still have no idea what 'go for it' means, and then you said that I shouldn't listen to anything Sanji says. Sanji said you really like me, but you said I'm not supposed to listen to him, so that must mean instead of really liking me you must not like me." He said as he once again found himself playing with the loose string.

Zoro was completely baffled. "Sanji said I like you?" he asked finally, and his fists clenched. He wanted to punch the cook in the face. Still, Luffy seemed to really be stressing over this, and Zoro wanted to ease his fears. He hadn't put much thought into liking Luffy, but he certainly didn't not like him, if that made any sense...

"Well, I guess Sanji was right for once," he murmured. "I do like you, kid, so... don't worry." He frowned a little. "What he meant was, that I like you, err... as more than a friend." Which, to be blunt, wasn't really true. Zoro didn't _know_ the kid well enough, hadn't even _thought_ about it, and the thought was making his cheeks burn with heat. "And, 'go for it'... I guess that means you're supposed to... try to get me... to love you." Or get him to sleep with the kid. You could never be sure with Sanji.

This was probably the most awkward conversation he had ever had in his life.

"Oh…" Luffy blinked, the tears at the corners of his eyes vanishing. "So you like me then? As a friend?" He grinned widely. "That's great!" He said, throwing his arms around Zoro's mid-section. "Zoro doesn't not like me, yaaay!" He cried happily, any trace of sadness from before gone. Then Luffy blinked again, pulling away.

"Try to get you to love me? How come? Isn't you being my friend the same as 'love'?" Then the boy frowned, looking confused. "What's love anyway? Is it some kind of fruit?"

Shocked when he found a pair of arms thrown around him, Zoro very awkwardly returned the gesture, lightly hugging the boy back and wishing he had locked the door behind him. Still, he was even more shocked when Luffy didn't seem to know what love was. "Fruit?" he repeated blankly, before quickly shaking his head. "No, no... love is..."

He had no idea how to explain something like this... "Love isn't something you can just explain. You have to feel it. When you love someone, you know." Not that he was speaking from experience... but it must be true, for even he wasn't really sure what love was. "It's... when you see someone and know that you could be with them for the rest of your life. It's when you feel happy just by thinking about them..." He pulled his arms away from Luffy, sighing and feeling increasingly stranger inside as the conversation progressed. Since when had he been so damn wordy?

Luffy scratched his chin and nodded. "…So it's less like fruit, and more like flowers then?" Then he laughed. "I'm just kidding. So why would Sanji want me to try and make you feel that way about me?" He asked, cocking his head to the side.

"I have no idea," Zoro muttered, standing and instead seating himself in his chair. "Probably just to embarrass me."

Luffy blinked. "Why would that embarrass you? Is it bad to love somebody?"

The questions just seemed to keep coming, and Zoro was running short of answers. "I..." But to tell the truth, he wasn't sure himself. "It's not bad to love someone," he responded simply. "But I... never have. Sanji's always going off with girls, so he's just trying to make fun of me." There was a small pause here. "And anyway, two boys aren't really supposed to love each other. I don't know why."

"Really? So you've never loved anyone before and if you love me it's a bad thing?" Luffy cast a thoughtful frown to the ceiling. "How weird."

Unsure how to respond to this, he only shrugged his shoulders and looked away. "It's a bad thing to some people," he gently corrected. Wait, what was he saying? Feeling flushed inside, Zoro quickly fought to think of something he could change the subject with, but nothing was coming to mind.

"But not to everyone?" Luffy asked, looking at Zoro again.

Snapped out of his thoughts by Luffy's questions, Zoro met his eyes for a moment before looking away again. "...yeah. Not to everyone. Just... most people. But it doesn't always matter... what most people think."

Luffy cocked his head to the side once more. "Heh…yeah, I guess it doesn't." He said, putting his arms behind his head. He then yawned loudly, still feeling rather tired from his third venture from the bed.

Noticing this, Zoro was beginning to feel rather tired himself. "Sleepy?" He asked, reaching to turn off the lamp. The room was bathed only in the moonlight streaming in from the window.

Luffy laughed, though it came out more subdued than usual since he was tired. "Yeah… guess so." He said, pushing himself up onto his elbows so he could pull his legs up to his chest and get them under the covers.

Zoro eased under the sheets, pulling them up over the both of them. He didn't say much, but something seemed to be a little strange. "Hey... something wrong?" He finally asked the boy.

Luffy yawned again as he curled up under the covers, rolled onto his side so he could face Zoro. He shook his head, a smile lighting up his face even in the dark. "Nope. I think that now everything's all right." He closed his eyes, snuggling against the pillow. "Night, Zoro."

_Someone who makes me happy just by thinking about them, huh? That someone just for me… _

Leaning slightly into Luffy due to the cold, Zoro gently hummed in response. "Alright. Goodnight, Luffy." And with that, he drifted off, another long day of school looming in his thoughts.

* * *

_"Luffy? Luffy are you alright, did he hurt you?" _

Luffy groaned and cracked open his eyes to see a blurry figure above him. He couldn't quite make out who it was; it just looked like a blur of tan and a splotch of black and orange to him. But instead of asking exactly who this person was, his mouth spoke on its own accord.

"Y-yeah…I'm fine." He stuttered, trying to sit up, but the tiny motion sent a stabbing pain from his lower back all the way along his spine.

"Liar. That bastard…he really hurt you this time." The figure above him growled, and Luffy could practically feel the anger radiating off of him. Luffy yelped, forcing himself to get up and grab the other person's arm.

"N-no! Don't! Just a little bit longer, remember? The social worker comes next week, so if we just hold out until then-"

"Kuro will move; you know that Luffy. We tried waiting before, he ran and you remember what happened afterward. If we want to get out of here, we'll have to fight back and run."

"…You're right. Alright, once I'm better we'll do it."

"Right on!"

"…Ace?"

"Yeah?"

"We'll get out okay right? Both of us?"

"Yeah, of course. Just you and me, nothing can stop us. I'll protect you from Kuro and anything else that tries to hurt you, just like I always have."

"Promise?"

"Yeah, I promise."

The blurred images faded away to become nothing but black, along with whoever Luffy had been talking to. He now stood in an endless space, so dark he couldn't see his hand in front of his face.

"..Shit. I must not have done as good a job as I thought if you can remember Ace..." A voice echoed through the dark, sounding frustrated.

"..Wha?" He muttered, looking around. "..Ace? Who's Ace?"

"Just don't think about it. Go back to sleep.." 

Luffy's brows furrowed as he gazed around, trying to find the source of the voice. "Who are you?"

"Ah, it figures you'd forget that but not what I needed you to forget." 

"Whaaaaaa?" Luffy cocked his head to the side, confused. "What are you talking about?"

"...Just don't worry about it. Who I am isn't important, it's not time for you know. The longer that you forget I'm here, the easier things will work." 

"'The easier things will work'?" Luffy repeated. "What does that mean?"

Cold, quiet laughter echoed through the dark, devoid of any mirth. "I suppose I could explain, but that would be telling, wouldn't it? I for one prefer to keep my secrets. I doubt you'd enjoy what you would hear, at any rate. Just forget about me for now…don't you feel tired?" 

Luffy's eyes began to feel heavy, any questions he had once had slipping from his mind. "Yeah, kind of…"

"Then go to sleep, Luffy. You'll see how things are soon enough, and I doubt you'll like it. Just enjoy your peace and rest." 

"….kay..." Luffy mumbled, eyes falling shut.

* * *

The blaring of the alarm sounded yet again, and, as if automatically, a strong, scarred, tan arm swung up from the fluffy covers and smashed a fist over the clock. It stopped with a final beep of protest, and a dark eye forced open with it. 

"Yeah, yeah. I'm up, I'm up."

The voice hardly sounded happy about it.

Still, Zoro remembered that he had forgotten to set the alarm forward because of his shower, so he still had plenty of time before he needed to get up. He sighed, rolling slightly over to lie on his back, his arm falling away from Luffy's...

...waist.

_Huh. That... must have happened in the middle of the night._

He tried to ignore it. His sleep-addled mind was hardly working at this hour, and he was certain any conclusions he tried to make would only be the product of a sleep-depraved mind.

Luffy groaned, lifting his head off of the pillow for a moment to stare groggily at the clock. He then groaned again and buried his face into the pillow. "Gaaah…it's too early…" He mumbled into the pillowcase.

"Mmmn... yeah," Zoro grunted in agreement, trying to inconspicuously completely pull his arm away. "Goddamn school..." He entertained thoughts briefly of staying home and taking care of the kid all day.

Luffy was apparently oblivious to the fact that Zoro's arm had been around his waist just moments before. "Awwwww, you gotta go to school _again_?" He whined, face falling into a frown.

"Yeah... it's Friday, so I'm supposed to..." Still, the thought of staying was looking pretty appealing. "I'd stay here if I thought Nami wouldn't scream at me to get up."

Luffy made a face. "_She's _the one that yells at you to get up? The girl with the orange hair? She's _scary_ when she yells."

Laughing some, Zoro nodded. "Yeah... no kidding. Terrifying." He shuddered. Zoro honestly did not understand Sanji's attraction to her. "She's in a few of my classes at school, too..." He shook his head. "Still, Sanji won't be here today, and I don't want to leave you alone..."

Luffy perked up a bit. "So maybe you'll have to stay home today?" He asked hopefully.

"Yeah, maybe." Though he didn't want to get the kid's hopes up. Nami was a force to be reckoned with. Of course, he could always pretend to leave, and then sneak back in when she was gone...

Luffy let out a "Yaaaaaaaay!" and flung his arms around Zoro. "Zoro's gonna stay home today!"

Crying out in surprise, Zoro twitched, squirming uncomfortably with Luffy's arms suddenly around him. Now that he'd said something, he would have to stay.

_Way to go, moron._

"Yeah, yeah... I'll stay for you." He ruffled Luffy's hair a little.

Luffy beamed as he looked up at Zoro. "You _do_ wanna stay, right?"

"'Course I do," Zoro answered, unable to help but smile softly back. "Someone's gotta take care of you."

Luffy just continued to grin as he buried his face into Zoro's chest. "Hee hee."

And of course, as fate would have it, Nami chose that moment to throw open Zoro's door and stick her head in. "ZORO! NO SLEEPING IN! GET UP ALR-" Then her eyes widened, her jaw dropping as she took in the sight before her.

Then she grinned widely. "HA! I _KNEW_ YOU WEREN'T STRAIGHT!" She cried, pointing a finger at Zoro.

* * *

**To be continued…**

_Once again, the chapter has been ended with Nami yelling something. ;; At least it's more amusing this time. Right, reviews!_

**KairiQueen:** _Yes, there shall be more interaction between Luffy and the boarders. Actually in a few chapters they're going to start bugging Zoro for keeping Luffy all to himself, heh. Constable's my clone? O.o But she's two years older than me. So basically you're saying either I write like I'm seventeen, or she writes like she's fifteen…hmmm..ah well, thank you for your review._

**poxmaker**: _X3 Eeeewwww, but that would be gross. I get what you're thinking and just…eewww…_

**Katiiey:** _XD No, don't flush the toilet in the guy's bathroom, that'd be so mean to Zoro! Glad you're happy that we update fast._

**Mai Hayami:** _Glad you find this interesting_

**Xeora:** _Yes, poor Luffy indeed._

**TreeStar**: _Well, actually, Nami isn't all that mean. We've just only caught her when she's being mean so far, but she wasn't really mean in this chapter. She was only trying to get Ussop to do the laundry since it was his job, and he didn't so she yelled at him. As for the socks thing…well, Nami likes her socks. And as explained at the beginning of the chapter, Nami wasn't really screaming at Luffy out of anger, more from surprise. She was just startled; wouldn't you be startled if someone was in the girls' bathroom and you opened the door and found a nearly unconscious, beaten up guy in there? Yeah, thought so._

_And I've encountered many spellings of Ussop, and seeing as the most common one I've seen is Ussop, I'm sticking with that one. Yes, I know what his name implies._

**night-chan:** _Man, I love your reviews. They always make me smile. I'm happy that you love this fic, thank you so much for reviewing, you really make my day_.

**GrayStripe:** _o.o I….see that you like your cats. Good for you…um, glad you like this fic and find it amusing?_  
**  
AlibisDragon:** _Behold, I updated! Um…yay!_

_See that purple button down there? The one that says "_**Review**_"? Press it, and if you're lucky you might get candy!_


	6. Knock Before Entering

**-Tangled Web-**  
**A role-play/joint-fic by Digitaldreamer and Constable Remington  
Chapter six: Knock Before Entering **_**

* * *

**_

_Well, I'm glad the wangst from last chapter didn't kill everyone. ;; And I'm also extremely glad there are people who are liking this fic, thank you so much for your comments!_

Gah! I am so bummed out right now. TT Constable's on vacation for the next week. This makes me extremely sad, as not only does that mean the RP that I have been completely addicted to for the past three weeks is on pause, but it also means TW is beta-less. I prefer to update at least once every two days since at the moment the file with our RP is like…one hundred and eleven pages long to date. Meaning that since I have plenty of content for new chapters I can post every other day and not keep people waiting.

I have Wish beta-ing for this chapter, but she doesn't have spell check sooooo…. 

_Wish: (coughs) Yes I do (coughs)_

Since Constable is away I'll slow things down a bit so I don't run out of chapters too fast, but I don't want to keep people waiting too long since it's getting so many reviews on So if anyone's willing to beta TW for the next week, please tell me!

Um…right, chapter time!**  
**  


* * *

Fucking hell. 

Zoro's hand pulled quickly away from Luffy's head, but that was about all he could do to change the way the current situation looked.

"It's not-- we're not-- I'm not--" But he couldn't seem to finish any of the sentences he was starting. "Goddamnit, Nami, you're supposed to fucking _knock_!"

Nami cracked up, eventually ending up leaning against the doorframe so she wouldn't completely collapse. After a minute or so she recomposed herself, but she was grinning from ear to ear. Apparently she took Zoro's inability to explain as more proof to add to her "Zoro 3 Luffy?" file. "Why am I supposed to knock? So I don't walk in on your little love-fest? I just came in to yell at you for sleeping in, but this was _way _better than I expected. Soooo, how long have you two been together?"

Luffy pulled away from Zoro, looking confused. Why was Nami laughing? Did this have something to do with what Sanji had said yesterday and the 'love' thing, which was not fruit?

"We're _not_ 'together'!" he yelled, suddenly getting up from the bed and going towards her. His face was burning hot. "Get out of my room!"

"Oh come on, Zoro, now you're just in denial," Nami said with a mischievous grin, noting Zoro's beet red face.

"I'm not denying anything!" Zoro cried, but when Sanji appeared in the doorway to see what all the racket was about, he knew he had lost all hope in coming out alive in this.

"What's going on?" Sanji asked curiously, trying to glance around the room.

Nami cackled. "Oh Sanji-kun, you're not going to believe what I just walked in on," she said, gesturing at Zoro and Luffy. "Those two were hugging. In bed."

"They were _what_?" Usopp cried as he rushed over to the doorway, toothbrush in hand. He looked from Zoro's beet red face to the confused Luffy still on the bed, and he grinned. "Aha! The Great Captain Usopp-sama _predicted_ this would happen! I _knew_ Zoro wasn't straight," he declared.

Now Luffy looked even more confused. He hugged Zoro. Was that a bad thing?

"We weren't doing _anything_--" Zoro began again, but Sanji interrupted.

"Good going, kid, you took my advice, right?"

"Luffy!" Zoro cried, turning helplessly to him. "_Please_! Tell them the truth!"

Everyone looked at Luffy in unison. "Yeah Luffy….tell us the truth…" Nami said, mischievous grin still in place.

Luffy blinked, scratching his head. "The truth? Zoro said he'd stay home from school today and that made me happy so I hugged him," he said with a shrug, still confused as to what this was all about. "What's the big deal? Is this about the love thing that's not a fruit?"

Usopp and Nami blinked. "…Oh…" Nami said, trailing off.

"We thought you guys were…you know," Ussop explained, gesturing between Zoro and Luffy.

Luffy cocked his head to the side. "I know what?"

"Well we thought you guys were together," Usopp said.

"But we _are_ together," Luffy said. Both Nami and Usopp stared with wide eyes.

"HA! HE ADMITTED IT!" Nami cried, punching her fist into the air. "This is _SO _going into the files!"

Ussop laughed. "HA! I was right!"

Luffy blinked. "Why are you laughing, Ussop? I'm together with _you _too."

Usopp's face fell. "WHA? NO-NO-NO! I do _not_ swing that way!" he cried, waving his hands in front of his face.

The boy on the bed blinked again, looking horribly confused. "'Swing that way'? Whaaaaaa?"

Nami laughed. "So it was a _three-some_ then? Usopp, why didn't you tell me you were a part of this?"

"I'm NOT!" Usopp cried.

Wildly amused, Sanji only continued to watch on. Anything embarrassing to Zoro was a treat to him.

Meanwhile, the swordsman was getting increasingly irritated.

"NOTHING IS GOING ON!" he finally shouted, bringing a strange sort of silence to the room. "Now everybody, get out of my room." He grabbed Nami and Usopp both by the wrists, pushing them out, to which Sanji loudly began to object.

"Stop manhandling my Nami-san!"

But Zoro just ignored him, finally managing to get his doorway clear and quickly shut the door, locking it before anyone could get back in.

Usopp blinked as Zoro's door slammed shut in his face.

"So Ussop, should I make the ZoLu file the ZoUsoLu file?" Nami said cheerfully.

"Shut up. You _know_ I don't swing that way, I have a girlfriend," Usopp growled.

"Oh, so you're cheating on her to get some manly love?" Nami said as she began walking down the hall.

"DAMNIT, SHUT UP NAMI!" Usopp cried as he ran after her down the hall. She promptly grabbed him by the nose, eliciting a yelp of pain from him.

"So this is going in the ZoLu file then?" Usopp asked shakily.

Nami grinned. "Definitely."

Meanwhile, Luffy stared blankly at the closed door where everyone had been swarming moments before. He sat in silence for a few moments, then opened his mouth. "Whaaaaaa?"

Massaging his temples with his thumb and forefinger, Zoro let out a loud, long sigh.

Well, at least Luffy had succeeded in doing one thing, and that was telling everyone that Zoro would be staying. Now the swordsman could just stay up in the safe haven of his room until everyone had left without risking another swarm of irritating questions.

"...I don't think even I really understand what just happened, Luffy," the man finally sighed, slumping back against the warm, soft comforts of the bed.

Luffy glanced down at the swordsman, still looking confused. "But we are together, right Zoro? We were all in the room 'together', so that's what they meant by 'together', right? So I'm together with you, and I was with Usopp, Nami, and Sanji just now. What's so funny about that?" He asked, forehead crinkling as he attempted to get his brain to work on this latest mystery.

"No, Luffy," Zoro sighed, shaking his head. He was beginning to get the tiniest bit annoyed by Luffy's ignorance. "What they meant was 'together' in a relationship. You know, a boyfriend or girlfriend kind of relationship." He paused to allow this to set in. "They think I'm your boyfriend."

"Whaaa?" Luffy cried, eyes widening in surprise, mouth forming into an 'O'. "Ohhhh, this about that 'love' thing, isn't it? So that's why it was funny, 'cause you don't love anyone, like the fruit. So they think we 'love' each other, which is being 'together', which is being boyfriend and girlfriend, but it can also be boyfriend and boyfriend. Being boyfriend and boyfriend isn't a bad thing, but some people don't like it, so it's especially funny if you're my boyfriend." Luffy scratched his head, pausing for a moment as he thought this over. Then he wrinkled his nose. "Love is _weird!" _

Well. That was the most simplistic -- and yet shockingly true -- explanation Zoro had ever heard. He sputtered for a moment, trying to process how Luffy's brain must work and match all these facts up together.

"Y- yeah..." he finally answered. "Yeah, something like that."

Luffy laughed, flopping back onto the bed. "I can see why people wouldn't wanna fall in love, it sounds pretty complicated. But I'm sure there are good things about it that I don't get yet." He grinned. "Love may be weird, but it's interesting."

Frowning at this, Zoro scooted around in the bed until he was completely laying in it, pulling the covers up around him and Luffy.

"Yeah. Maybe. I don't see anything so great about it."

Luffy snuggled into the pillow, grinning at Zoro. "But you've never actually been in love, right? So how would you know?"

"And neither have you--" Zoro laughed a bit, grabbing Luffy's head and grinding his other fist against Luffy's head in a strong noogie. "--so you don't know, either."

Luffy laughed even as he attempted to bat Zoro's fist away. "Ack! C'mon Zoro, stoppit!" he yelped, though he was chuckling as he did so.

Laughing a little too, Zoro pulled away, smiling softly towards his friend. The kid caused a lot of trouble, that was for sure -- but for some reason, Zoro felt loose and comfortable around him.

Luffy smiled back, curling up under the covers. He definitely loved this house, as well as all the people here, but he definitely liked Zoro most of all. He had mostly just had contact with Zoro after all, but even if he had seen everyone else more he decided he still liked Zoro best. He wasn't exactly sure why, but he just felt happiest when he was around the man who had saved him. He didn't need to worry about anything when Zoro was around, he was his friend and friends were always there for each other, right?

He yawned, snuggling into the pillow again. After the excitement from everything had worn off, Luffy was beginning to feel tired again. "You're a good friend, Zoro. I don't really get what love is, but I'm glad I have you here to help figure it out." The boy murmured as he began to drift to sleep once more.

Blinking in the gentleness of this statement, Zoro was about to offer to go down and get Luffy some breakfast when he heard the boy's quiet snores.

Still, his own stomach was grumbling, and he rose from the bed, hoping that no one was still home to taunt him as he made his way out the door and down to the kitchen to see what he could scrap up.

Robin glanced up from her book as Zoro stepped into the kitchen. "Ah, good morning Swordsman-san. I see you finally decided to grace the world with your presence." she said after taking a sip of her coffee.

"'Cause he's finally done having hot man sex with the kid in his room!" Nami called from up the stairs.

Robin rose an eyebrow at this, staring at Zoro.

"Actually," Zoro began, with complete composure and control, "I just came down here to look for Nami so I could--" His voice changed to that of anger, tilting his head towards the staircase and shouting. "--RIP HER INTO PIECES AND FEED HER TO A PACK OF WILD DOGS!" He continued to glare upwards for a moment, taking a bit to regain his calm state, before turning to Robin. "...I just came down for some breakfast," he muttered. "I'm staying here today to take care of Luffy."

Robin nodded, taking another sip of her coffee and ignoring the yelp of fear that came from upstairs. "I see. That's fine, you haven't missed any school days in awhile anyway," she said with a shrug. "You want me to bring your homework from your other classes since I'm staying late anyway?"

"Yeah... that'd be great. Thanks." He grabbed up an apple resting in a bowl on the table, taking a bite. "Though I am sorry I'll have to miss your wonderful class."

"Ah yes, that is a shame isn't it?" Robin said as she returned her attention to her book, reaching over and pulling out a worksheet from her bag. She held it out to Zoro. "Here, you can have today's work to make up for missing my wonderful class. We're reading chapter twenty-one, section's one and two, and taking notes over the reading, as well as this worksheet. You think you can manage to do that?"

Taking the sheet in his free hand, Zoro frowned down at it. "Yeah, I can manage," he spoke, though his tone was annoyed. So much goddamn work... After a moment of thought, he grabbed up the other apple and turned to retreat up the stairs. "See you."

"Have a good day, Swordsman-san." Robin drawled, eyes still not leaving her book as she sipped her coffee again.

Quickly rushing up the staircase, Zoro was quick to make sure he wouldn't be met with interference as he went to his door and quickly shut and locked it behind him. Luffy was still sleeping, peaceful as an angel. Zoro couldn't help but hope that he was getting better, since Luffy had even had the strength to hug him without whimpering in pain. He set the extra apple down on the bedside table. Luffy could have it when he woke up again.

Still... Zoro wasn't sure he wanted Luffy to feel better... if he did, that meant he would go home...

Scoffing at this thought, he shook his head. _Of course_ he wanted Luffy to feel better. Thinking otherwise was just insane.

Luffy's face suddenly twisted in his sleep and he let out a moan. "N-no…stop…please stop…K-Kuro….stop….hurts…" he whimpered, fists clenching at the blankets as he began to toss and turn.

Zoro froze for a moment, then quickly sat on the side of the bed, grabbing Luffy's shoulders and shaking him gently. "Luffy-- Luffy, wake up--" He didn't like the way Luffy's face looked, or the things he was saying. "Luffy, wake up—"

"No…n-no I…stop! AHHHHHHH!" Luffy's eyes suddenly shot open and he bolted upright screaming. Unfortunately, as Zoro had been shaking him awake, Luffy ended up pressing his lips against Zoro's as he came up. It happened so fast he couldn't have stopped it if he wanted to.

Luffy froze, eyes wide. He felt as if fire works were going off in his brain, and his heart was thundering in his chest. Strangely enough…he liked it, the feeling of excitement that rushed through his entire being as if he had just grabbed on to a livewire.

Zoro had been expecting Luffy's head to crash into his own, was ready for the slamming headache...

But not this.

He only let it linger for a moment of confusion and fright before he pulled back, gasping for breath, his face burning hot. He didn't know what to say, only able to stare open-mouthed at the boy.

Luffy stared back, eyes still wide. A blush spread across his own cheeks; one could practically hear the cogs in his brain struggling to work and figure out exactly what had just happened.

_Thank GOD the damn door was locked. That would have been JUST my luck._

Still, Zoro couldn't do anything but softly stare back, before he finally cleared his throat and looked away.

"…Sorry about that," Luffy said with a soft laugh, focusing on the elusive loose string once again and fiddling with it, trying to hide his beet red face. He was going to unravel the comforter in time at this rate.

"...it's... it's not like you _meant_ to--" Had he? Zoro was trying to process his thoughts... one part was screaming about how Nami was _right_, and damn her for being so _all the time_, and another was trying to still convince itself that it was disgusted by what just happened, and another was telling Zoro to go ahead, lean right in and do it again. And still, yet another was begging him just to stay right where he was...

It was giving him a fucking headache.

"Yeah…right," Luffy said with another laugh, scratching his head. He _hadn't_ meant to do it, right? It had been on accident…but there was a part of his brain that was insisting this was a _good_ accident and he should do it again. The other part of his brain was yelling at him to stop thinking that because 'boyfriends having boyfriends is especially funny' as he had stated earlier. He wasn't supposed to like kissing Zoro. Then why did it feel so right in his heart?

This was confusing. Luffy didn't like confusing things, they made his head hurt. Therefore, whenever Luffy encountered a confusing thing, he dubbed it 'mystery' and left it at that. This feeling was very confusing, so Luffy decided to dub it the "mystery feeling" until he could understand what it was.

"I... ah... well, uhm, are you... hungry? I brought you an apple..." Zoro gestured to the shiny golden apple that rested upon the bedside table. "Anything else you want, just... just ask. That's what I stayed here for."

Luffy grabbed the apple so fast one could practically hear the air being displaced. "Yosh! Food!" He cried, 'mystery feeling' forgotten in favor of something he understood. The boy took a big bite of the apple, swallowed, and grinned. "Thank you, Zoro!"

"Yeah...sure..." Zoro, however, couldn't exactly forget something like that so quickly. In fact, he thought with a sigh, he probably wouldn't be able to forget the way Luffy's lips felt against his in...

...a really long time.

Which was good, he decided. Meant he wouldn't need any reminders.

Suddenly, as he was surveying the boy, his mind fell upon something else. "Hey... how are you feeling? Think you can get a bath or something?"

Luffy frowned for a moment, considering this question. He _had _made it to the bathroom last night, and he was definitely feeling better than he had then. The boy grinned and nodded, taking another bite of the apple. "Yeah, probably. I'm feeling a lot better today, thanks to you."

"Good..." Zoro glanced around the room. "Maybe I can find some old clothes you can... try to fit into." And then he thought of Nami's reaction if she were to see Luffy in Zoro's clothes.

It was like no matter what he did... he lost.

Still, he ignored this for now.

"The soap and water's gonna sting your wounds... but it'll be good for you." He rose from the bed, and, looking at Luffy for a moment, went to open the door and grab the boy up in his arms, ignoring the sudden warmth that shot up his back as he had come into contact with the boy, carrying him out of the room and down the hall towards the bathroom.

Luffy blinked as he found himself scooped up in Zoro's arms once again. He was about to open his mouth to protest, then decided against it. Three encounters with light-headedness and passing out once yesterday had taught him that walking before he was ready wasn't a good idea, and he didn't really feel like drowning when he finally managed to drag himself to the tub. Therefore he decided to just resign himself to this fate. _It's not all that bad anyway_, he thought as he finished the last of his apple.

"'Kay, that's fine. I can't remember when I last had a bath anyway," the boy said with a laugh.

Zoro had pretty much decided that he liked Luffy's weight in his arms; it made him feel like he was useful for something. And besides, he didn't want Luffy to hurt himself trying to walk again.

Reaching the bathroom, Zoro stopped oddly in the doorway and sett Luffy down, unsure what to do.

Luffy's bare feet touched the linoleum floor and his legs shook a bit from trying to keep himself standing, but he managed to stay on his feet and steady himself after a moment. He gazed around the bathroom for a moment. "So this is the guys' bathroom, right? I'm not gonna get yelled at again for using it?" He asked, looking up at Zoro.

Zoro laughed some. "Yeah, it's the guys'. No one's gonna yell at you."

Luffy laughed, relief evident on his face. "That's good," he said, padding into the room and stopping at the tub, blinking at it. He looked back at Zoro. "Zoro, how do I work this thing? What knobby thing does what?"

Moving into the room, Zoro stared down at the tub and then began twisting the knobs until warm water poured from the faucet, causing steam to rise from the water. "There... that should be a good temperature."

Luffy beamed. "Great!" Then he blinked at Zoro for a moment, as if waiting for something.

Zoro only blinked back. "Oh. Sorry." He began to back out of the room, beginning to shut the door. "I'll... wait out here, I guess. Call me if you need anything."

"Okie dokie!" Luffy said with a grin. "Don't worry; I can take care of myself. It's not like I'm gonna drown myself in a bathtub or anything, that'd be _really_ stupid," he said with a laugh before the door closed.

* * *

**To be continued…**

_Right, review time!  
_  
**poxmaker** _True, I could have gone in that direction too ne? Heh. Everyone loves Nami jumping to conclusions.  
_  
**Mai Hayami: **_o.O__ They're going off character? How so? They seem fine to me and pretty much everyone else I've asked about it. So…um…what's OOC, tell me so I can fix it. O.o;;  
_  
_As for the missing words, I uploaded the un-beta-ed chapter on accident. Um…yeah, whoops. It should be fixed now…  
_  
**KuroKame** _Here, you get candy for being awesome. (gives you candy) XD I'm sorry we got people staring at you, but I'm glad you found Nami amusing.  
_  
**Xeora** _Oh, but there is candy! (gives you candy)_

_J: XD Yes, we all wish we were born as a guy named Luffy. Yes.  
_  
**night-chan** _Squee__! I'm so happy that you think this fic is adorable! Sha ha ha, The Luffy and Ace situation is mysterious? Sha ha ha…you ain't seen nothing yet! _

**KairiQueen** _Squee__! Long review! Eh heh…yeah, we had a lot of grammar mistakes last time because I accidentally put up the un-beta-ed version of the chapter. Whoops…it's fixed now though. Actually, I got the fruit thing from RPGWorld and I just couldn't resist using the line. And it's Kuro. You know, the guy who attacked Ussop's village and wanted to murder Kaya?_

**Griever5:** _Ack__! Thank you for pointing the missing word out. . We messed up…  
_  
**TreeStar** _Well, what'dya know? (sighs) Sorry, but Ussop is the spelling that I'm used to. Now I'm going to have to go through all one hundred and eleven pages of this RP and fix it…ah well. At least I didn't screw up Nami this time…  
_  
**FEnM** _X3 Yes, Zoro likes Luffy. He's so just in denial. Yes…Luffy's past…(starts cackling insanely)_

**Katiiey:** _o.o__ Eep, your teacher showed up? I hope you didn't get in trouble!_

**GrayStripe** _Well, I'm glad you like this as much as your cats then. X3 Everyone feels bad for Zoro, but at the same time everyone enjoys the Zoro-torture. _

You know, they say that a healthy dose of **review**_s daily is a good part of a lonely fanfic authors diet…go on, click the purple button and donate some nice reviews to the RP-starved Digitaldreamer…_

_Wish: (chucks random One Piece plushies at Digitaldreamer for her diet) --;;_


	7. Recovering

**-Tangled Web-**  
**A role-play/joint-fic by Digitaldreamer and Constable Remington  
Chapter seven: Recovering**

_Right. Luffy kind of acted girly last chapter. That has been fixed. Please feel free to go read it and tell me if he is no longer girly. _

Just so everyone knows; **this chapter is pretty much twelve pages of fluff**. There is very little action this chapter, but we do develop the relations between Zoro and Luffy some more. Hopefully this doesn't bore you all…hey, it's still cute, even if it gets us no closer to telling us anything about Luffy. This chapter's main purpose is to develop Zoro and Luffy's relationship and to show Luffy is in fact healing. Yes.

I apologize in advance for the seemingly pointless-ness of this chapter. Go on, you'll like it, it's cute. I'll make it up to you next chapter, really.

_(SHE LIES!) _

* * *

Watching the door close, Zoro stood there blankly for a moment, as if trying to think of something to say. Then he just sighed and slumped against the door, sitting on the floor. 

Luffy glanced around the room for a moment, unsure of what to do. Then he shrugged and walked over to the tub, poking the slowly rising water level with his finger. He swirled the finger through the water for a moment, amused by the bubbles that he stirred up before deciding he should probably quit messing around and take bath.

He smelled _really _bad, now that he thought about it. When _was_ the last time he took a bath? He couldn't remember…then again, he couldn't remember anything before two nights ago, so he supposed that wasn't much to go by.

The boy wiggled out of his shorts, holding them in front of him for a moment and making a face. They were covered in blood stains and ripped and torn in places; they may as well have been rags from how torn up they were. Jeez, how long had he been wearing these things? They looked like they were ready to fall apart.

Luffy tossed the jeans to the floor, then hopped into the half-filled tub. Of course, by doing this he managed to cause a bit of water to splash over the sides of the tub and onto the floor. Luffy stared blankly at the puddles from behind his now soaked black bangs, and then laughed. "I'll clean it up later," he said, sinking into the warm water. It felt really good, but it did sting his wounds a bit. Speaking of those…

Distantly he wondered why he hadn't taken off his bandages _before _he got into the water. Ah well, that didn't matter now.

He began to unravel the now soaked white bandages from his waist, hissing in pain as the sticky material peeled away to reveal slightly wrinkly tan skin (This was why he didn't like bandages, he felt all icky once he peeled them off) as well as a lot of grisly looking gashes. They covered his sides and his stomach, most too shallow to be critical, and appeared to have been made with a knife. There were scabs forming over most of them, and some already had the scabs formed, but it certainly wasn't a pretty picture. No wonder he hurt so much.

His back was covered with what were probably welts. The skin had probably been broken a few times by whatever he'd been hit with, judging by the bloodstains covering the bandages. Luffy decided he'd have a better look at them once he got out and could see the mirror.

He soon discovered his legs were also decorated in gashes and bruises and he was already aware of the ones that covered his face and arms.

"Wow, I really got beat up," Luffy muttered as he lay back in the tub, gazing in a detached way at his unraveled wounds. "I wonder who did this…whoever they were, I'm gonna kick their ass. "

Luffy sighed, soaking for a few minutes before deciding he should probably wash himself like he came in here to do. He reached over and grabbed for the bar of soap. However, the thing slipped from his grasp and across the room, hitting the door. Luffy stared at it for a moment.

"…Stupid mister soap." He pouted, standing up, the water draining off of him as he stood. He hopped out of the tub, dripping water everywhere as he crossed the room to pick up the elusive bar of soap. After thoroughly soaking the floor he got to the soap, and then turned around to make the return trip. However, his foot hit one of his just made puddles and he slipped, falling backwards onto the dark-blue (now thoroughly soaked) throw-rug.

Blinking, Zoro heard Luffy's voice faintly and then a loud thump against the floor. He rose an eyebrow, turning his head a bit. "Hey... are you alright?"

Luffy lay against the soaked rug, blinking for a moment, then laughed. "Yeah, I'm fine!" he said as he grabbed the evil soap from where he had dropped it and hopped to his feet as if nothing had happened. Sure, his back hurt like hell now, but that was ignorable.

Frowning some, Zoro forced his mind to think of something -- anything -- but the mess Luffy must have been making in there. He didn't really need to be spending his time picturing Luffy bathe.

Luffy hopped into the tub again (soaking the floor even more; there was now so much water on the floor that there may as well have been a small flood) and began to scrub himself with the soap. He got everywhere he could think of, including behind his ears, wincing whenever it got into wounds. But eh, it was a good idea to wash those out, right? So this pain was good, right?

After scrubbing himself down Luffy grabbed what he assumed was shampoo. If it had a label that said "shampoo" on it, that was good, right? Probably. Luffy squirted some of the shampoo (Which was actually way too much since he squeezed too hard on the bottle) into his palm, then began to lather it into his messy black locks of hair, closing his eyes so it didn't get into them. After doing this he took a deep breath and plunged under water to rinse it all out. He surfaced a few seconds later, shaking his head and sending droplets of water everywhere like a dog.

After soaking for a few more minutes he got a bit bored and started playing around, splashing water this way and that way, ducking underwater, rocking back and forth so he caused great big waves. Luffy laughed in delight as he splashed water into the air, watching the shimmering droplets fall back into the tub with a splash.

Eventually the water started getting kind of cold and when Luffy checked his fingers, they were pruned from being in the water so long. Gee, maybe he should get out…

…Eh, he would after one more game of "submarine".

Zoro rose an eyebrow at the splashing noises, unsure what to say. Luffy really was just like a kid.

Still... Zoro wondered what clothes the boy was supposed to wear when he got out. It wasn't like he could go around na...ked...

Luffy eventually _did _actually get out of the tub, shaking himself off like a dog the moment he stepped onto the soaked floor. Then he grabbed a towel from the rack and dried himself off. Of course drying himself off for Luffy just meant slapping the towel over himself and any moisture that was soaked up by this meant he was dry, even if he was still dripping wet. Therefore, when he pulled the towel around himself like a blanket (the towel was pretty big and Luffy was pretty small, so it covered everything that needed to be covered) he was still pretty much sopping wet, his hair dripping water everywhere.

Then he reached for his torn shorts, making as if to pull them on. Except for the tiny problem that they were now sort of drenched, along with being blood-stained and practically ruined already.

Well, wearing those was out then.

Luffy decided he'd just have to go with the towel until he found something else and walked up to the door with the cloth pulled around his shoulders like a blanket. He pulled over the door and peeked out, shivering slightly. "Kay, I'm done!" He said with a grin before glancing back at the bathroom. "..I think I kinda drowned your floor, though, sorry about that…"

Zoro almost fell back when the door opened, but he caught himself, standing to his feet and staring at Luffy blankly before he quickly looked away. "Ah... that's... that's okay. The floor doesn't mind." He began to walk towards his room. "Let's try and find you some clothes, alright?"

"Okie dokie!" Luffy said with a grin, following Zoro to his room, leaving a trail of damp carpet in the hallway behind him.

Making a face at how dripping wet Luffy still remained, Zoro sighed, closing the door behind them. "You should dry off," he said shortly, forcing himself to turn away from Luffy and instead kneel before his dresser, beginning to look through the drawers for old clothes for Luffy.

Luffy cocked his head to the side. "But I did dry off…." He then finally noticed the trail of water he was leaving. "…Oh," he said with a laugh, beginning to make another attempt at drying himself off, this time actually rubbing the towel over his skin.

Zoro was careful not to look; he quickly found a faded blue t-shirt and a ripped pair of jeans that he knew were now too small for him but probably still too big for Luffy. "This is going to have to work until you're strong enough to leave the house. Then we can go shopping, I guess, so you don't have to wear weird clothes when you... when you go home." He tossed the clothes behind him.

Luffy yelped in surprise as the shirt hit him in the face, somehow managing to catch the jeans in his hands. He blinked as the shirt fell away and landed in his arms as well, the towel hanging loosely around his waist. Then he grinned as he pulled the shirt over his head.

It really was far too big for him. It hung off of his lanky frame, the wide sleeves going all the way to his elbows, the shirt so long he could have just walked around without the pants and he wouldn't have been showing anything. Luffy grinned down at the faded blue cloth, hugging his arms to his chest. "I like it! Thanks, Zoro!"

Zoro blinked, turning some to get a look, but he quickly looked back away, his face going red. "Luffy! Put on some pants!" he cried.

Luffy blinked, glancing down to note his bare legs. He then laughed, grinning sheepishly. "Oh yeah, right. Sorry," He said, pulling on the pants. These were also pretty big on him, so he ended up rolling up the ends twice, and even then they hid his bare feet from view.

Zoro sighed, standing to survey Luffy. He leaned in, looking at the oversized clothes, seemingly amused. "You really are tiny," he grinned a little, looking down at him. But being so close to Luffy and suddenly meeting his eyes and being able to smell the young boy again was reminding him a little bit too much of the... the kiss they had shared before. So he quickly moved away, trying to appear casual about it.

Luffy blinked as Zoro leaned towards him a bit, cocking his head to the side and putting his arms behind his back as he met the older man's eyes. He could again recall the kiss from earlier, the way his heart had thundered…and then Zoro quickly pulled away and the memory was tucked away to make way for other things. Luffy laughed, beaming at Zoro. "Yeah, I guess I am kinda small," he said, scratching his head, which was still sopping wet.

"You look a lot better," he said gently. "You feel better too?" He paused for a moment. _Okay…he's still dripping water everywhere…like on my bed. Shit…if Nami sees a wet spot..._ He then grabbed up the damp towel from the floor, suddenly running it through Luffy's hair.

Luffy yelped in surprise as the towel was run through his hair, then laughed. "Yup, I feel a lot better!" he said, still grinning from ear to ear.

"Good." Zoro couldn't help but gently smile down at the boy. "Are you hungry? I can make you some lunch or something."

Luffy's grin got even bigger, which was a feet in itself as his grin was already abnormally huge. "Yeah! Lunch would be great!" He said, his stomach choosing that moment to growl loudly.

Leading the way out the door, Zoro paused at the top of the stairs, waiting for Luffy to catch up. "I can carry you if you want," he said softly.

Luffy followed, a bit slower, behind Zoro. He _was_ starting to get a bit tired from walking around so much, and wasn't quite sure he was ready for the stairs judging from how weak his legs were starting to feel. That and his wounds were really starting to hurt again, maybe putting new bandages on them would be a good idea…he really hoped they wouldn't start bleeding again.

He stopped at the stairs, leaning against the wall for support. "Yeah, that'd be good. Do you think we could get some new bandages too?" he asked, breathing quicker than before.

Zoro nodded some. "Wait just a second." He ducked into the bathroom, wincing at the puddles of water on the floor. Still, he simply grabbed the roll of bandages from the cupboard and went back out into the hall. "Hang onto these." He pushed the bandages into Luffy's hands, suddenly moving his arms to pick the boy up and cradle him in his arms, moving down the stairs and into the living room.

Luffy nodded, for once not caught by surprise as Zoro picked him up and carried him down the stairs, cradling him like a child. Although he didn't really like the feeling of being so weak that he couldn't make it down the stairs, he wasn't about to complain. He didn't really mind if Zoro was willing to carry him around, he felt safe in the swordsman's arms.

Setting Luffy on the couch, Zoro frowned down at him. "Uhm, I guess... take off your shirt and I'll bandage you again." He blushed at this thought, but quickly pushed that away.

Luffy nodded, pulling his shirt up over his head and setting it next to him on the couch, then looking at Zoro as if waiting for instructions.

But Zoro didn't say anything, only beginning to unwrap the bandages from the roll and carefully rewrap them around Luffy's body. He covered each cut and wound accordingly. "I'm glad you're starting to feel better," he said gently.

Luffy smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he did so. "Me too," he said, holding still so he wouldn't end up making things harder for the older man.

Finally tying the bandage off, Zoro pulled away, admiring his handiwork. "So," he said, setting the roll on the coffee table, "what do you want for lunch?" He grinned lightly at the boy, beginning to finally loosen up from his tenseness over the kiss nearly hours before.

"_MEAT_!" Luffy cried instantly, though it was muffled as he was pulling his shirt back over his head.

Zoro was slightly taken aback, blinking at the sudden outcry. "...Meat it is, then," he began after a pause, laughing some. "There's a couple steaks left from a few nights ago. Those shouldn't be too hard to make."

"Whoo! We're having meat!" Luffy cried the moment his head poked out of the shirt, his exhaustion from earlier forgotten. He punched his fists in the air enthusiastically, grinning.

Unable to do anything but smile back, Zoro reached out a hand to help Luffy up from the couch. He began to move towards the kitchen, pulling the boy along. He gestured for the boy to sit at the nearby kitchen table, going to the fridge and pulling out a plate that had two large red steaks sitting on it, covered with plastic wrap. He pulled off the wrap, setting the plate on the counter and putting a pan on the stove.

Luffy plopped down into a seat at the table, practically bouncing up and down in his chair. Clearly the prospect of food, especially meat, had him very excited. "Can I help?" he asked.

"Help?" Zoro echoed warily, looking back to Luffy as he slapped both steaks into the pan. "I... sure, if you want to... there's really nothing to do, but you can flip them when they're ready if you want..."

"Yosh!" Luffy cried, jumping up and running over to the stove and staring down at the pan for a moment. "…Are they ready yet?"

Zoro was no cook, that was for sure, but he at least knew this much. "No," he said, raising an eyebrow. "It'll at least be a few minutes."

"Awwwwwww..." Luffy's face fell. He stared dejectedly at the meat for about twenty seconds. "…Has it been a few minutes yet?"

Zoro sighed raggedly. He knew he would have to find something to occupy Luffy for a while, but what? His never-ending asking was certainly going to get annoying. "No, it hasn't," he finally muttered. "Isn't there something you can do to keep busy for a bit?"

"I can think of a few things you could do," a voice spoke up, and Zoro's head shot sideways to see Sanji leaning in the doorway, a cigarette poking from his mouth, grinning. "Honey, I'm home," he spoke gently, with a small laugh, and Zoro growled and rolled his eyes.

Luffy spun around to see the blonde cook, his anxious face becoming a grin once again. "Sanji! Hi!" He cried, waving enthusiastically and nearly hitting Zoro in the head as he did so. "What can I do to keep busy? Huh? Huh?"

Sanji pulled the cigarette from his mouth, blowing the smoke out from between his lips. "Well, I was going to suggest something..." He looked to the boy, dressed in Zoro's clothes, and grinned. "But if you needed a change of clothes... maybe I'm too late with my suggestion, huh?"

"Shut up, Sanji," Zoro spoke lowly, his tone holding a warning.

Luffy cocked his head to the side, looking confused. He scratched his head. "You mean a bath?" he asked, blinking innocently.

Sanji laughed loudly, and Zoro thought for a moment that he wanted to kill himself.

"We didn't go together!" Zoro yelled, but Sanji was pushing him out of the way, still laughing, and taking over the cooking.

Luffy blinked again, still looking confused as Sanji walked past him and took over the cooking. "Hey, that's not fair! I was gonna get to flip the meat!" he cried, waving his arms dramatically.

Blinking, Sanji turned towards him. "All right, you can if you want to," he said, moving slightly out of the way and handing Luffy a spatula.

Luffy blinked at the spatula in his hand. "..What do I do with this?" he asked, sounding even more confused. He poked the meat with the spatula, and then it dawned on him. "OH! I get it!" he said, putting the spatula underneath one of the steaks and throwing it upward. It hit the ceiling with a splat.

Sanji quickly grabbed the utensil from Luffy's hand, pushing him out of the way, and, amazingly, was able to catch the steak on the nearby plate as it fell. He turned on the two, glaring. "Out of my kitchen!" he yelled suddenly, and Zoro, open-mouthed, took the hint and grabbed Luffy's arm, yanking him out into the living room.

"But I gotta flip the other one!" Luffy cried as he was pulled out of the kitchen. "I wanna help!"

Zoro only continued pulling him out, eventually pulling him onto the couch and wrapping both arms around Luffy's waist to hold him tight in his lap and keep him there, safely away from lunch. "I think you've helped enough."

"But…but…" Luffy struggled in Zoro's grip for a moment before giving up and slumping back against Zoro, sighing dejectedly and folding his arms. "Awwwwww…" he whined, pouting.

The man grinned for a moment, his arms staying tight around Luffy's waist. Now that the boy was beginning to feel better, it was nice to have him close. His energy was definitely keeping Zoro on his feet. He glanced to the TV, reaching for the remote to turn it on. "Here, you like cartoons?"

Luffy perked up. Though there were few things he remembered, he _did_ remember cartoons and how cool they were. "Yeah! I love cartoons!"

Flicking the TV on, Zoro handed Luffy the remote. "There, you can find something to watch."

"'Kay!" Luffy said, taking the remote. He frowned at it a moment, then glanced at what was on, the news. "Blah, you're boring mister old guy!" he declared, hitting the channel up button.

And of course, as fate would have it, the next channel was showing some sort of weird romance flick, and of course it happened to be right at the moment where the hero and heroine were sucking face and beginning to take off each others clothes with pretty background music.

Luffy stared blankly at the screen, then pointed at it. "Zoro, why are they trying to eat each other?" he asked, looking up at Zoro.

Zoro stared back, before quickly grabbing the remote and changing the channel, happily, to the news. His face was bright and hot, and he quickly looked away. "It's... they're not... it's..." He only stumbled over his words. "Why don't you go ask Sanji? He knows all about that."

"Okay!" Luffy said, jumping up from Zoro's lap and rushing towards the kitchen. He paused, however. "But you said to never listen to anything he says..."

Zoro was about to tell Luffy to be careful and not use so much energy when he stopped, hearing the boy's words. He was taken by surprise, not used to have his points turned against him, and he only stared blankly for a moment. "...well, sometimes he knows things," Zoro muttered, not too pleased with having to admit this. "Never mind that right now. Just go ask him."

"Okay!" Luffy said with a grin, running into the kitchen. "Sanji!" He cried, then yelped as he slipped on the too-long ends of his jeans. He wind milled his arms for a moment as he wobbled on one leg before regaining his balance. "Phew.."

Turning suddenly, the man was about to yell at the kid to get the hell out of his kitchen before he stopped, watching Luffy regain his balance with a sense of amusement in his eyes. Turning the burner on the stove down some, he set down the spatula and rose an eyebrow. "...yes?"

Luffy grinned up at Sanji. "Why were the two people on TV trying to eat each other?"

Sanji stared back for a moment before irritation set in. This question didn't even make sense, and the kid had come to interrupt him with something like this? "What?" he asked, confused. "What are you even talking about?"

"Zoro and I were watching TV and it was the news so I changed the channel and on TV there was this guy and this girl and they were sticking their tongues in each others mouths and moaning and stuff. It looked like they were eating each other, why?" Luffy asked, cocking his head to the side.

The blonde took a quiet moment to pause. And then he laughed. And for a moment, he wasn't sure if he would be able to stop laughing. Using the counter to balance himself, he covered his face with a hand still giggling, before finally regaining composure enough to speak, albeit with difficulty. "They weren't eating each other, Luffy, they were... they were..." But he was laughing again. "They were kissing."

"Ohhhhh…." Luffy said, nodding as if he understood. Then he frowned. "But I thought kissing was just putting your lips on someone else's? They were sticking their tongues down each others throats practically!"

"Well," Sanji began slowly, turning back to the oven. "When you really, really like someone, that's just what you do." He grinned a bit. "It feels nice."

Luffy made a face. "How would having someone else's tongue stuck in your mouth feel _nice_?"

Sanji only shrugged, unsure of how to describe it. "If you really want to know, you have to find out for yourself," he said simply, busying himself with the meal cooking on the stove. "It's just one of those things you have to do yourself."

"Really? That's interesting…thanks Sanji!" Luffy cried, charging out of the room to return to Zoro and the hypnotic glowing box that was TV.

Raising an eyebrow as Luffy rushed back in, Zoro scooted over to make room on the couch for the boy, wondering what Sanji had told him. "Well? You, ah, satisfy your curiosity yet?"

"Sort of," Luffy said as he flopped onto the couch next to Zoro. "He said it was 'kissing'. But they were sticking their tongues in each others mouths…which is supposed to feel nice, apparently. I think it's has to do with that 'love' thing…which isn't a fruit."

"Yeah... usually." Zoro frowned a bit. "But sometimes people kiss each other even when they're not in love, just because they like the feeling." He made a bit of a face. "Like Sanji." Still, Zoro shook his head, pointing to the TV, where a cute show with a young girl running around fighting monsters with cards was playing. "I found you a show."

"YAY!" Luffy's eyes widened as he stared, completely mesmerized, at the screen. He seemed especially mesmerized by the cute cat thing with wings. "Yay, Kero! I want Kero! Zoro, you should own a cat with wings!" he declared while staring at the screen.

Not really interested in the show, Zoro had instead taken to flipping through one of Nami's girly magazines that had been sitting on the coffee table, scanning through in disgust. He glanced up at Luffy's outburst, raising an eyebrow at the little animated creature on the screen. "...no thanks," he said finally. "I have enough weird things in my life." But before he could elaborate, Sanji's voice came shouting from the kitchen.

"Food's ready!"

"MEAT!" Luffy cried as he jumped up and rushed to the kitchen, cute cat thing forgotten.

Zoro was finding out that he was having a hard time keeping up with the younger boy. Standing from the couch and abandoning the magazine back on the coffee table, he flicked the TV off as he followed back into the kitchen.

Sanji already had plates of food sitting on the table -- he had managed to somehow safely salvage the steak Luffy had nearly ruined, along with making mashed potatoes and green beans. Zoro sat down at his place at the table, quietly beginning to eat.

Luffy plopped down next to Zoro and immediately began to eat, shoveling the food into his mouth so fast it was wonder he tasted it. "Yummy! This is great! Thank you Sanji!" Luffy cried, but his mouth was full so it came out a bit muffled.

Sanji stared quietly, sliding down in his own seat and forcing himself to look away from Luffy so he could eat as well. "Hungry?" he asked, rather amused. Zoro snorted a bit, taking a drink of water.

"No. He's always like this."

Luffy nodded at Sanji, taking a large gulp of water before opening his mouth to take another bite….only to discover that his fork had nothing on it. The boy blinked, looking down at his completely clean plate.

Zoro had finished too, already defensive that Luffy would get a hold of his plate next if he didn't. Sanji quickly followed suit, not really used to eating fast, but not wanting to go hungry. The blonde grabbed his and Luffy's plates, taking them to the sink, but leaving Zoro's behind.

"So, you must be feeling better," Sanji mused, looking towards the boy.

Luffy nodded, still grinning. "Yup! Thanks to Zoro I feel a lot better! I think I might be able to actually walk without collapsing soon!" he said, eyes shining with excitement as he spoke.

Sanji laughed a little. "What an achievement." He glanced sideways to Zoro. "He's recovered awfully fast. You must be working some kind of miracles."

"Don't push it," Zoro warned, getting up to drop his own plate in the sink. He leaned against the counter, turning back to Luffy. "You should get some more sleep."

Luffy pouted. "But I'm not tired!" He insisted.

Frowning some, Zoro sighed. "Alright, alright... if you're not tired, there's no point in sending you off to sleep. You can go finish your show if you want."

"Yosh!" Luffy cried, punching his fists into the air. He charged into the living room, singing as he returned to the wonderful show that was Cardcaptor Sakura. "Hora catch you catch me catch you catch me ZETTAI! Unmei datte o-niai date!"

Zoro made a face, moving from the kitchen to follow Luffy out into the living room before Sanji could say anything that might possibly be on his mind. After all, Zoro had stayed home to keep an eye on Luffy, so that's what he should do.

Luffy was plopped directly in front of the TV, seated Indian style with wide eyes that seemed to be reflecting the screen.

Zoro didn't really mind that he couldn't see the screen. Mainly, he was just pleased that Luffy seemed to have found a show to be interested in where no kissing was to be found. Not interested any further in Nami's magazine, Zoro let his mind wander. His eyes settled on Luffy. He really did look ridiculous in Zoro's hugely oversized clothes, and the man laughed a little, seemingly in a good mood.

Luffy glanced back upon hearing Zoro's laugh. "What's so funny?" he asked with a grin.

"You," Zoro answered, moving down from the couch to rest on the floor beside Luffy. He reached up, ruffling the boy's hair. "You look so weird in those clothes."

Luffy laughed as the older man ruffled his hair. "Well I don't care," he said, sticking out his tongue. "I like 'em!"

Zoro smiled some, letting his hand rest on Luffy's head idly for a moment before he seemed to have realized what he was doing, and he quickly pulled it away. "Yeah, they're fine for now. But I'll have to buy you something before we take you home."

Luffy blinked, looking a bit surprised. "You're gonna buy me clothes? But won't that cost you money?"

Pausing for a moment, Zoro shrugged. "It's fine. We can't send you back looking like a rag doll, right?"

The boy laughed again, leaning against Zoro's shoulder. "I guess not," he said, smile distorted a bit since his cheek was being pressed against Zoro's shoulder. Inside though, he felt his heart sink a bit with the mention of being sent back. He liked it here, he wasn't so sure at this point that he wanted to go back. But then again, he didn't know where 'back' was. Maybe things wouldn't be so bad there…even so, he'd definitely be coming back to visit Zoro. He knew there was stuff before him, but Zoro was the first thing he could really remember, and he felt happier just being around the swordsman.

Zoro didn't want to think about Luffy leaving either, for some strange reason. It was true, he liked being on his own, and really, he did enjoy having his own room... but something about Luffy made Zoro not want to be separated from him for too long. Still, Luffy had said he would visit and that was good, right? Besides, if Luffy left, he wouldn't have to endure such constant teasing from the rest of the household. He hesitated for a moment before he slipped his arm around Luffy's waist, just a simple gesture to return Luffy's lean, and that was all.

He remembered reading somewhere that when baby chicks hatch, the first living creature they see becomes a motherly figure in their life. While the last thing Zoro wanted to be compared to was a child-rearing woman, he could somehow see the similarities in Luffy's situation, and it brought a soft, if strange, smile to his own lips.

Luffy watched the rest of the show, completely absorbed in it, with only the occasional comment on how Zoro should get a cool staff like that or other such nonsense. He seemed to be getting a bit tired, and as the ending song began to play he yawned, snuggling against Zoro's shoulder.

Noticing Luffy's fatigue, Zoro reached to flip the TV off, shifting until he could pick Luffy up in his arms. Standing, Zoro began wordlessly carrying the tired-out teenager up the stairs and back into his room. Zoro shut the door again with his foot, sliding Luffy into the bed and sitting himself on the edge of it.

Luffy yawned, curling up under the covers as he stared at Zoro through half-lidded eyes. He smiled, snuggling against the pillow. "Thank you, Zoro."

Zoro nodded softly, noting himself how inviting the bed looked. He paused for a moment before sliding down beside Luffy, pulling the covers up over him, too. "Goodnight," he muttered, though it wasn't night at all.

Luffy's smile widened as his eyes fell shut. "'Night." He murmured back, falling asleep with that wide, angelic smile still in place.

* * *

**To be continued…**

**Greiver5:** _Heh, are you glad that Luffy didn't drown?_

**Katiiey: **_XD Yes, Sanji is a perv._

**FEnM:** _Hey, out of curiosity, what does your SN…name…thing stand for? It's spiffy._

**Mai Hayami:** _o.o What character bashing? Were we character bashing? I'm sorry? _

Eh…yeah, Luffy was a bit feminine last chapter. ;; I fixed that, I don't suppose you could re-check it and tell me if I did a good job, as well as with this chapter? I don't plan on turning Luffy OOC just so he can Zoro can love each other, because that doesn't need to happen. Luffy will not be made into a weepy-drag-uke, I swear. Because I know he isn't.

We're not trying to get them into the romance yet. ;; I'm trying to work things so they go naturally, no matter how many times Constable and I see instances where our GAYDAR minds say that the boys should kiss. So basically they're slowly getting into it, but we're not going to rush things. Chemistry is good. We're trying to develop things, all right? There is no romance yet. If you don't want romance don't read the fic though, all right?

Zoro teasing/clueless Luffy…yeah, there shall be more of that, you can count on it. And yes, we already had Sanji things and Nami things planned…yeah. As for the bloodshed, you're gonna have to wait a bit but trust me, there will be lots of it.

Well…I still didn't catch the OOC-ness from chapter five…so…..yeah.

_Luffy's brain is somewhere over the rainbow in Neverland watching the clouds go by. Seriously. _

Long reviews make Digi happy. (glomps Mai) Thank you!

**Maedhros:** _Luffy, deep? Hey, it's possible you know._

**Next chapter: **_The rest of the house finds out about the "kissing" incident. Oh dear…_

**REVIEW**. _Pressing that little purple button just may cause a 5 percent increase of "New Tangled Web Chapter" in your day._


	8. Do You Think He Loves You?

**-Tangled Web-**  
**A role-play/joint-fic by Digitaldreamer and Constable Remington  
Chapter Eight: Do you think he loves you?  
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**_Wow, not many people read the last chapter. O.o I'm sorry, was it crappy or too late so no one noticed it? Either way I'm sorry! I really hope you guys review for this chapter, I'm pretty proud of this one. It's cute, and I'm very proud of the cameo we stuck in, I do hope you guys enjoy it as much as we enjoyed writing it. _

So yeah, enjoy the chapter, and please leave a review! I have finals right now, so your reviews help keep me from losing my mind!

Oh, and many thanks goes to lastannoyer for guest beta-ing this chapter.

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The room lay in warm, dim silence for hours until finally Zoro awoke to the sounds of people arriving home from school. He groggily opened his eyes, sitting up in bed and yawning, casting a half-awake glance around the room. His throat felt dry. Deciding he needed a drink, he moved from the bed, out the door, closing it behind him, and down the stairs.

Sanji must have left for work, because his jacket was missing from the hooks beside the front door, which, Zoro decided, was fine. As he went into the kitchen, however, Vivi was already there, sitting at the table and working at homework. Zoro glanced to her as he went to the cupboard, finding a plastic cup and going to the freezer to fill it with ice. She was such a diligent student. He sighed, shrugging some and pouring water from a pitcher in the fridge into his cup.

"How was your day, Roronoa-san?" she asked, finally looking up from her homework, and he took a sip of water before answering.

"Alright," He paused a moment, before adding, "Luffy's a lot better. He got a bath today and even came downstairs to eat lunch." He didn't bother to mention that he had carried him down the stairs.

"That's wonderful!" Vivi said, smiling cheerfully. "He certainly seems determined to heal quickly!"

"Yeah..." Zoro muttered. Again he came to the thoughts of Luffy having to leave. Zoro sighed, downing his water.

"So…I guess this means we'll have to say goodbye to him pretty soon, eh?" Ussop called from the living room, which was across the hall. Even at his age he still watched his afternoon cartoons religiously, as was made obvious by the blaring of the "Teen Titans" theme song.

"Awww, shame," Nami commented from her usual spot on the couch, flipping through her magazine. She was apparently unaware that Zoro had touched it earlier and she seemed genuinely bummed that the kid would probably be leaving soon. "You hogged him up in your room all to yourself Zoro; the rest of us hardly got to see the kid."

Somewhat irritated, Zoro took a few steps further so as to hang in the doorway of the kitchen, so he wouldn't have to shout. "Well, it's not like he was really up to company. I didn't see anyone else offer to keep the kid in their room."

"You certainly didn't seem to mind though." Nami said, glancing up from a glossy page to look at Zoro.

"I am the one that found him," he reminded her with a wary stare. "What's so strange about wanting to help someone out?"

Nami shook her head, smiling. "Nothing, but now you're using wanting to help him as an excuse for keeping him all to yourself." She said as she returned her gaze to her magazine, circling something with a red pen.

He shook his head some, returning to the fridge to pour him self another glass of water, then going back to leaning against the doorframe again. "I don't see why you care. What would you have done with him?"

"Oh, nothing drastic," Nami said, waving her hand. "It just would have been nice to get to know the kid that the great Roronoa Zoro is playing hero for."

Zoro frowned, unsure how to answer. He didn't really think he was being too much of a "hero". True, normally he would have looked the other way, but something about the boy had pulled him forward and made him bring Luffy in. He couldn't really explain it... something above normality, a sort of divine providence, maybe? Zoro snorted into his water. He wasn't sure how much of that he really believed. "Well, he's not leaving yet. Besides, he says he'll come to visit."

Nami quirked an eyebrow, "Oooh really? Come to visit you, I'm assuming, seeing as he hasn't really seen much of us?"

"If you're so insistent about wanting to get to know him," Zoro objected, "you can go shopping with us whenever we take him to get new clothes."

Nami sat up straight the moment Zoro said 'shopping'. "You're taking him shopping? For clothes?" She repeated, her eyes lighting up.

That wary look returning in his eyes, Zoro shifted some, and then nodded. "Yeah... that was the idea. I don't wanna send him home in clothes five sizes too big for him..."

Nami's grin became extremely wide as she circled several things in her magazine with her red pen. "Well, if you're going to buy him clothes I'm definitely coming. You wouldn't know anything fashionable if it came up and hit you in the face."

"He'd probably slice it in half." Ussop commented, eyes glued to the screen.

"That's beside the point. I'm sure the kid would look adorable in whatever I choose for him." Nami said, tucking a lock of orange behind her ear. "I'm sure Vivi would love to come too, she could help pick things out for him."

Perking up, Vivi nodded. "It sounds like fun!" she said happily, and Zoro sighed. Well... at least if two girls were there, it wouldn't be an awkward "two guys going to the mall together" trip.

"Yeah, alright," he said lowly. Pausing for a moment, he shrugged. "He'll probably be fine enough to come down here and eat dinner with everyone, too."

That pulled Usopp's attention from the screen for a moment to look at Zoro. "Really…?"

"Yeah... well, I'll have to ask him." Zoro shrugged. "But I don't see why not. He ate lunch down here with Sanji and me."

"Sweet" Usopp said as he returned his attention to Robin's severe beating of some random bad guy.

Nami grinned. "That's great. Now maybe the rest of us can get to know who the hell this strange kid is that's in our house."

Zoro didn't answer, instead moving to set his cup beside the sink and cross the kitchen to move up the stairs, back into his own room. He sighed, closing the door behind him. He didn't really think that anyone else had cared to see Luffy, but honestly, Nami was probably right in saying that he hadn't really given them a chance to try. Still, Luffy had been sleeping most of the time he had been here, and it wasn't like Zoro thought he had really gotten to know the kid, either...

He ruffled Luffy's hair a bit, boredly sitting on the floor with his back against the side of the bed for support.

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A few hours later the sun was setting outside, casting rays of orange and pink into Zoro's room to create the glow that comes with sunset, specks of floating dust becoming visible in the rays. Downstairs things seemed fairly quiet save for the blaring of Nami's beloved reality TV shows and the occasional argument, just the usual chaos, really.

What was different for once was that the argument downstairs was interrupted by the doorbell. Now that was weird, people rarely bothered to knock at the boarding house, let alone use the invention known as the doorbell.

There was silence for a moment, followed the thudding of someone's footsteps and the faint sound of the front door opening. Again there was silence for a bit, which was followed by the door closing and Usopp's cry of "PIZZA! COME AND GET IT!"

Waking from his half-slumber, Zoro's head jerked up and he yawned, stretching and blinking for a few moments before he sighed, looking towards his little roommate. He pulled back the covers a bit, awkwardly shaking Luffy's shoulder. "Time to get up, Luffy, there's food here." He smiled a bit, brushing a hand over the boy's face. "C'mon, wake up."

Luffy stirred, eyes cracking open as he blinked at Zoro. "Hn… food?" He repeated, propping himself up on his elbows.

Zoro nodded. "Yeah, pizza," He stood, sighing. "I was thinking you'd be alright enough to come eat downstairs with everyone. They're all pretty excited to see you."

Luffy's eyes immediately widened and he sat up straight, punching his fists into the air. "Yosh, Pizza!" He cheered, grinning. "And I get to eat with everyone! YOSH!" He cried as he threw back the blankets and jumped out of bed.

Amused, Zoro carefully reached out a hand to place it on Luffy's shoulder in an attempt to keep him steady. "Hey... careful, now, you're not well enough to be jumping around just yet..." At least, he didn't think so. "Think you can manage down the stairs?" The last thing Nami needed to see was Zoro carrying Luffy down to the dinner table. At least she didn't know about that accidental kiss they had shared... damn it, why did he keep thinking of that!

Luffy nodded enthusiastically, shifting from foot to foot. "I can handle the stairs! Now let's get food!" He said with a grin before charging out the door…

Or rather, he tried to, and ended up smacking face first into it.

"O- oi!" Zoro grimaced, lumbering after the boy. "You need to pay attention to doors, you know..." He sighed, prying the boy from the wood and pulling the door open. "You okay?"

Luffy rubbed his face for a moment, laughing. "Yeah, I'm okay!" He said, grinning up at Zoro before vanishing into the hallway. He stopped at the stairs to wait for Zoro, bouncing up and down.

Zoro sighed at the energy, closing the door and traipsing out into the hall, meeting Luffy at the top of the stairs and beginning to head down.

Luffy charged down the stairs past Zoro, skidding to a stop in front of the kitchen and then charging in there with the battle cry of "FOOD!"

Ussop had still been standing in front of the door, rummaging through his wallet for money to pay the blonde pizza guy. His jaw dropped as a black and blue blur rushed past him, and then glanced up at Zoro. "…Was that Luffy?" He asked. Usopp's eyes wide.

Zoro was about to answer with an irritated nod when his eyes grazed the pizza man. He looked scarily like Sanji, and for a minute Zoro was about to ask the man if he had to get another job or something, when he noticed the strange white lollipop stick that stuck from the man's mouth. He shrugged, continuing into the kitchen and taking his seat beside Luffy. Must not be Sanji. Sanji would never trade a cigarette for a piece of candy.

"…What a strange guy…" Ussop murmured as he handed a fifty to the pizza guy.

"'Dank you fer yer cash, crud custamer." The pizza guy said with a slight bow. He had a horribly fake sounding New York accent, and from the sounds of things he should have stayed home tonight and taken some Sudafed for that head cold of his. "Enjoy yer pizza." He said as he turned and walked away.

"You're welcome!" Ussop said as he closed the door, and then afterwards shuddered, thankful that he would hopefully never hear that awful voice again as long as he lived. He headed into the kitchen, where Luffy was inhaling every piece of pizza he could get his hands on, while Nami stared on in plaint horror. Ussop stood in the doorway as he caught a sight of this, eyes wide. Robin sat away from the spectacle, sipping a glass of iced tea.

Zoro, used to this by now, had one hand on Luffy's head to try and push him away from the boxes, his other hand attempting to grab his own slice. "Luffy!" he yelled, thoroughly annoyed. "You have to share with everyone else, damn it!"

Vivi, however, was simply laughing, already safe and secure with her own slice on her plate.

Eventually everyone got over their shock and seemed to figure out that if they didn't fight for it they weren't going to be eating tonight. Soon they were all wrestling to get a slice away from the infinite vacuum that was Luffy's mouth.

"DAMNIT LUFFY, GIVE ME SOME!"

"ACK! LUFFY, THAT WAS MINE!"

"FOOOOOOOOOD!"

These cries continued until at long last Nami and Ussop had managed to hoard a slice for themselves. Finally things got a bit calmer as everyone sat and ate their pizza.

"Well, someone is obviously doing much better if they felt the need to eat four boxes worth of pizza." Nami muttered, glaring at Luffy.

Luffy just laughed as he munched on one of the last slices. "Gee, I wonder who that could be!" He said brightly, oblivious to Nami's glare.

"You stole the Great Captain Usopp-sama's pizza." Usopp sulked, sipping his Mountain Dew.

Luffy burped. "Heh, sorry Ussop!" He said, though he didn't sound sorry at all.

Zoro, having finished, sighed and sat back in his chair, slightly leaning in it and drinking some water. "You're going to be sick. You'd better not puke all over my bed or anything. Because I swear, I'll kill you."

Luffy swallowed the crust of the final slice and gave a pizza sauce covered grin. "I won't get sick!" He said with a laugh. "And if I do I won't puke all over your bed, I promise!"

Vivi grabbed up the empty boxes, standing from the table and taking them to the trash. "Have you had a good stay here?" she asked the guest kindly, returning to her seat. "I hope Roronoa-san has been a good host."

Luffy looked to her and nodded, still grinning. "It's great here! Zoro's been awesome! He's really nice and he gave me clothes and told me that love isn't a fruit and then there was that one time where we kissed on accident…that was kind of weird…" He trailed off, suddenly becoming amazed with the ceiling fan and its spinney-ness.

Everyone's reaction was nearly simultaneous. Usopp's eyes bugged out and his jaw dropped along with his empty mountain dew, Nami choked on her Pepsi and sputtered, even Robin's eyes widened a fraction. "You kissed?" Nami shrieked at the top of her lungs.

"..Yeah, it was on accident though." Luffy said in a detached voice, following the spinning blades of the ceiling fan with his eyes.

Zoro's chair completely toppled, sending the swordsman crashing painfully to the floor atop the wooden chair. His hands flung back to catch the kitchen floor, and he blankly stared up at the rest of the occupants of the table, his own eyes wide, face a fraction paler than it had been before.

The first thing he heard was Sanji's laughter. Looking towards the source, Zoro saw the blonde standing in the doorway as he had been earlier that day. Apparently Sanji had arrived just in time to hear the good news. Zoro wished he could have fallen through the floor.

"How can you kiss someone accidentally?" Sanji laughed. "Or is that just what Zoro said it was?" He laughed some more, noting that his seat had been taken by Luffy, and instead resting by leaning against the wall.

"He _does_ have a point." Ussop said, beginning to snicker as well.

Nami had whipped out her magazine and began circling things with her red pen furiously. "Yeah, you can't kiss someone accidentally." She agreed. "That was probably just his excuse to you so he could engage in his creepy fantasies."

Robin said nothing, though her eyes twinkled with amusement.

"No, it _was_ on accident!" Luffy said, retuning his attention to everyone. "I was having a nightmare and Zoro shook me awake! I sat up really fast and since Zoro was already there from trying to wake me up I ended up kissing him on accident." He explained.

Wondering what the hell the deal was with Nami and her damn magazine, Zoro nodded furiously. "I was just trying to wake him up."

"But Luffy was asleep," Sanji pointed out, digging around in his pocket for a cigarette. "So he wouldn't even know if the marimo here had leaned into the kiss, now would he? It must have been pretty damn convenient. Normally, people just would smack heads. Zoro must have moved into it. You wouldn't know, kid, you were just waking up."

"This is ridiculous!" Zoro yelled, his face going red.

Nami just cackled, continuing to circle things in her magazine. Ussop frowned, scratching his chin. "That's true, that's very true…"

Luffy blinked. "What, really…? So it wasn't on accident?"

"No! It was an accident!" Zoro cried, nearly panicking now. It was... right? He hadn't moved into it subconsciously... had he?

Great, now the damn idiots were even starting to make Zoro believe it!

"You all are taking this way too far!"

"No we're not, you're just in denial!" Ussop declared.

Nami snickered, holding up her magazine. The words "Is your friend GAY?" were printed across the glossy pages. "It's been proven, Zoro! The results are in! According to this quiz, you are so very gay!" She said with a grin.

Zoro stared blankly at the magazine for a moment, before he picked himself up off the ground, silent setting his chair back up and pushing it in. He snatched the magazine from Nami's hands, reading it for a moment. "I haven't done half this shit you say I did." He flipped the page. "And damn it, we were not hugging in bed!"

Nami and Ussop both glanced at each other. "Denial." They both said at the same time.

Luffy didn't seem to be catching any of this; he was completely fixated on the whirling blades of the ceiling fan. Round and round and round…

Vivi seemed to think the entire ordeal was funny, and she giggled at random intervals, reaching up to take the magazine, which Zoro very gladly handed over. Sanji crossed the room, unlit cigarette in his mouth, leaning over Vivi's shoulder to look at it himself.

"You got the highest ranking, practically," Sanji noted, looking up. "Any worse and you might as well be waltzing around in girl's clothes."

Zoro sneered back, his cheeks warm and pink. "Ridiculous," he muttered. "I have homework to do." With that, he turned on his heel, escaping up the stairs.

Luffy remained transfixed with the ceiling fan. Round and round and round….and then he recalled how it had been said that Zoro's kiss hadn't been on accident. Really? Didn't it mean when two people kissed that they loved each other? Love wasn't a fruit, it was a feeling. Did that mean Zoro loved Luffy? Did Luffy love Zoro?

…This love thing was confusing. The fan was more interesting. Spinney blades.

Nami shook her head, taking back her magazine. "He's in denial." She declared again. Ussop nodded in agreement. Robin gave no comment, but her eyes still sparkled with amusement.

Taking the seat left behind by Zoro, Sanji grinned, lifting a hand to knock Luffy playfully on the shoulder. "Well? What do you think, kid?"

"Huh?" Luffy blinked, coming out of his little trance.

Sanji sighed. "You think Zoro loves you or not?"

Nami and Ussop leaned towards Luffy a bit, eagerly awaiting his answer.

Luffy cocked his head to the side and folded his arms, frowning thoughtfully. Then he grinned. "I have no idea!"

Nami and Ussop both face-faulted.

"Oh come on! He kissed you! You guys hug in the bed that you share! He brought you from an alleyway and has been caring for you like you're some kind of little kid! Zoro doesn't like girls! Boobs mean nothing to him! He looks at you, I swear he does! You guys share a bed! He's going to buy clothes for you! He _feeds_ you! He carries you around a lot! He _kissed_ you!" Nami ranted.

Luffy just stared at her blankly.

"Can't you see the signs? Zoro has never loved anyone before, and I can tell he likes you!" Nami cried.

Luffy continued to stare.

"How can you _not_ see it?" Ussop cried, waving his arms.

Luffy suddenly blinked. "Huh? Sorry, I was looking at the wallpaper. It's really cool! What were you all saying?"

Nami and Ussop fell back in their chairs and groaned.

* * *

**To Be Continued…**

_Well, did you guys catch the cameo? I'll assume so, seeing as it was pretty hard not to catch. I hope you all liked it. X3 Anyway, reviews! _

**Mai Hayami: **_Well, we're trying not to write the romance in too early. Hopefully it will work out. I'm glad this fic makes you smile and giggle, that makes me happy to know we're making someone smile. _

**poxmaker: **_Oh, I know! ;.; I wanna watch CCS so badly, no matter how badly dubbed it is! I wonder why Kids WB cut it off… (sigh) Hmmm…now there's an idea…probably won't happen though. Eh, we'll see, ne? _

**Griever5: **_o.O Odd, it wasn't "feet" before…Wish must've changed that…(fixes) _

**KairiQueen: **_Suuuure you haven't played submarine. Sure. Yes, Nami so would think that. X3 I dunno if Kaya will be in this…probably will. Glad you're addicted! _

**Katiiey: **_Actually, the Mercenary thing may or may not come into play soon. We'll see how things go. _

**REVIEW! **_It keeps me sane! _


	9. Tell Me a Story

**-Tangled Web-**  
**A role-play/joint-fic by Digitaldreamer and Constable Remington  
Chapter Nine: Tell me a story **

_O.O Wow. We got LOTS of reviews last chapter! (feels special) Quite a few of you liked the Dub-Sanji I see. I'm glad you all enjoyed it, Constable and I had quite a bit of fun writing it. _

Also, a few of you asked when Ace will be appearing…(tsk tsk) Come on now, if I told you what fun would that be?

(Dodges various heavy objects that are thrown)

Eh heh…right, chapter time! (runs)

* * *

Sanji sighed, brushing back some of his hair and looking around the kitchen. "Well, interesting as this all is, I need a shower." He stood from his chair, pushing it back in. Looking towards Luffy, he grinned. "Don't forget my advice, kid! Now's a great time to try. Just go on up there and get him!" With that, he turned and walked out, whistling a funeral march. 

Luffy stared after him, and then looked to Nami and Ussop. "'Get him'?" He repeated, sounding confused.

Nami sighed, running a hand through her hair. Then she smiled mischievously. "Don't worry about it. We'll work everything out for you…you just try to figure things out for yourself and we'll….help you along." _Because I'm not going to be the one who gets a headache trying to explain it to you. _

Ussop blinked. "_We'll _help him along? What do you mean _we-_" Usopp let out a yelp as Nami slammed her heel onto his toes. "R-right….we'll help you along."

Nami grinned. "Right….now come on, Ussop. I need to go watch my show, and you need to fold my socks, you still owe me for ruining that one pair last time." She said as she dragged Ussop out of the room.

Robin folded her hands in front of her as she watched Luffy's expression just become more confused.

Vivi looked up, watching Nami leave, wondering what things she could possibly have in mind. "Well..." she trailed, a little uncertain, before smiling to Luffy. "At least something good is happening in Roronoa-san's life," Though the term 'good' seemed to be rather loose. "He spends too much time alone. I'm glad he has a friend like you." She smiled towards Luffy.

Luffy blinked, cocking his head to the side as Vivi spoke. Then he grinned. "I'm glad to be his friend." He said.

Alright… So he had lied. Zoro didn't have any homework. He had finished that worksheet Robin had given him while Luffy was asleep, and besides that, tomorrow was Saturday. Maybe they would go shopping then. He sighed, slumping down on the bed and staring up at the ceiling.

There was something about Luffy, alright. But he couldn't put his finger on it...

Robin gazed at Luffy quietly from across the table. Her eyes betrayed no emotion. Luffy stared back, blinking. Finally the women sighed, putting her head in her hands. "How do you like it here, Luffy-san?"

Luffy grinned. "It's great here. If I could, I think I would stay here forever with everyone! I sure am glad I'll be able to come back and visit everyone…especially Zoro."

Robin looked up at him again, face still emotionless. "You think you're feeling well enough to leave soon and check your records, so we can find where you really belong?"

Luffy's face fell a bit at the thought of leaving. "Y-yeah….I guess, since I'm healing I'll have to do that eventually…"

Robin said nothing.

Vivi glanced up from the table, taking her hair from its pony tail holder and brushing a hand through it. "Maybe tomorrow, since its Saturday, and you seem to be doing much better. I'm sure your family is very worried about you, Luffy." She smiled a little. "We'll miss you, but of course you're welcome over here any time!"

Luffy's grin returned. "Really? That'd be great! Once I meet my family again I'll come and bring them here and they can meet Zoro and everyone, it'll be so cool!" He said with a grin.

Robin gave a soft, almost pained smile as she rose from her chair. "That's good, Luffy-san. If you'll both excuse me, I have papers to grade." She spoke over her shoulder as she exited in the room.

Luffy blinked after her, and then looked back to Vivi. "Does she always act that funny?" He asked, gulping down the last of his coke.

"Oh... Robin." Vivi shrugged a little, taking a sip of her lemonade. "She's a very mysterious person. But she really does mean well."

"Oh." Luffy said, standing up. He smiled at Vivi. "I'm gonna go see Zoro now, maybe he's done with that homework stuff." He said before leaving the room and heading up the stairs.

He poked his head into Zoro's room. "Zoro! Are you done writing boring stuff?"

Looking up, Zoro, blinked, but nodded. "Yeah... yeah, I'm done."

Luffy grinned, leaping into the room and onto the bed, the mattress sagging a bit under his weight before springing him upward. "WHOO!"

Zoro cried out, surprised at suddenly being launched into the air. He landed hard back on the mattress, 'oof'ing when the younger boy landed right on top of him.

Luffy threw back his head and laughed, propping his elbows against Zoro's chest and leaning his head on his arms. His feet kicked idly in the air, Zoro's oversized jeans swishing with every motion he made since they were so big on the boy. The boy grinned down at Zoro. "I win." He declared, though what he had won was probably unclear even to him.

Sputtering, Zoro decided that he didn't really mind the pressure on his chest so much as being in this... rather awkward position. "You win?" he repeated blankly. "What, you want a prize or something?"

Luffy nodded enthusiastically. "Yup!"

Smiling in amusement, Zoro folded his arms under his head, slightly propping himself up. "Well? What do you want? Food, I'm guessing?"

Luffy frowned, considering this. "…I don't know," He said finally. "I just want a prize for winning."

Zoro sighed. "Well... I'll buy you candy or something tomorrow," he finally decided, his cheeks going slightly warm with Luffy so close.

"YES!" Luffy cried happily, rolling off of Zoro so he was now beside the swordsman, mimicking how he was laying.

The swordsman, for a moment, was unable to decide if he was happy or sad with Luffy having rolled off him, and he frowned at this, cursing himself. "Damn it..." he sighed under his breath, turning his head a bit to stare at Luffy.

Luffy blinked in confusion at Zoro's sigh, mimicking Zoro's motion as he looked back at him. "Hm…? Something wrong…?"

"No," he answered suddenly. "Nothing's wrong." He rose from the bed, digging around for pajamas before glancing back to Luffy. Tossing him an old, comfy t-shirt, he continued to search for his own sleep clothes. "You can sleep in that," he said simply.

Luffy caught the shirt, blinking down at it before hugging it to his chest. It had Zoro's smell, and Luffy had decided he liked Zoro's smell. But then he blinked. "Just in the t-shirt?" He asked, remembering how Zoro had blushed when he had only put the shirt on earlier.

"...Yeah, well... it's fine if you're sleeping," he muttered, finally finding his own clothes and beginning to change.

"Oh… Kay." Luffy said with a shrug, pulling off the ripped jeans and blue t-shirt before pulling the new shirt over his head.

Zoro definitely didn't watch Luffy change, or, at least, that's what he told himself, pulling his own pajamas on and hitting the light switch, falling back against the bed.

Luffy yelped as Zoro suddenly landed on the bed, sending him springing upwards. The mattress squeaked as he landed. The boy blinked for a moment before grinning in the dark. Who _cared_ that the lights were out? He didn't feel tired yet! And the bed was bouncy and cool! Luffy bounced up and down on the bed, laughter filling the dark room.

Grimacing, Zoro frowned towards Luffy in the dark, feeling him self bouncing up and down on the bed. "Luffy," he said suddenly, eyebrow quirking. "...What are you doing?"

"Jumpin' on the bed." Luffy said simply, continuing to bounce.

Zoro sighed. "I figured that much," he answered shortly, sitting up. Looking towards the boy, he grinned, temporarily seeming to forget Luffy's possible limitations due to his wounds. If Luffy wanted to play so much, then Zoro would show him a much better way to play. As soon as the boy landed against the bed once more, Zoro's hands grabbed his shoulders and he suddenly tossed sideways with the boy, beginning a strange game of wrestling.

Luffy yelped as Zoro suddenly launched into him from the side, beginning a new game. Then he laughed, figuring out exactly what the game was. He rolled over, and making a grab for Zoro's wrist. "Ohhh, you want to wrestle, eh? So all I gotta do is pin you?" He asked, grinning.

Zoro grinned back, a sort of playful glint entering his eyes. It seemed like no matter how annoying everyone else got, with Luffy, everything was just simple and relaxed. There wasn't any underlying meaning to anything, and Zoro was finding himself deeply appreciating Luffy's nature. "That's right," he responded. "Provided I don't get you first!"

Luffy laughed again, his right hand snatching Zoro's wrist. His hands were rather small, his slender fingers barely making it around the older man's wrist. "Like that'll ever happen!" He said with a grin as he bounced up again, landing in a crouch on the front pads of his feet. He loved playing games, and Zoro made a great playmate.

Seeming to remember Luffy's wounds, Zoro frowned a bit. On one hand, he certainly didn't want to lose to the boy. On the other, Luffy was hurt, and Zoro should take it easy. "I don't want to hurt you," he said seriously. "So..." Acting, for just a moment, as if he were going to give up, Zoro suddenly betrayed this by swinging his free arm up and snatching Luffy's furthest shoulder to attempt to force him down, fingers latching tight against Luffy's t-shirt-clothed skin, ...Be sure to tell me if I do!"

"I wil- ACK!" Luffy yelped in surprise as he was suddenly flipped over onto his back, releasing Zoro's wrist as he did so. _Well, this isn't _good. He thought as he attempted to squirm away, but remained firmly in place with Zoro's grip on his shoulder. He wasn't going to let Zoro win that easily! But he couldn't exactly get up like this, and he wasn't going to be winning from here.

Suddenly his eyes brightened as he got an idea. He grabbed the arm holding him down with one hand and reached up, tickling Zoro's armpit with the other. Well, if all else failed…

Zoro instantly let go of Luffy's shoulder in shock, trying to get away from the wandering fingertips as quickly as possible. He pulled his arm away from Luffy's grip, staring down at his little roommate for a moment before a smirk overcame his cheeks. Two could play at that game! Zoro's own hands came down over Luffy's sides, up from the bottom of the shirt and tickling wildly against Luffy's skin.

Luffy instantly burst into laughter, squirming and rolling as he attempted to get away from the feather light brushes against his skin. "Awww come on Z-Zoro! No fair!" The boy yelped through peals of laughter.

"You did it first!" Zoro cried, laughing right along with Luffy, but in amusement. "Little cheater!" Zoro's fingers only seemed to push even harder into the strange sort of torture when Luffy had called for it to stop.

"Awww, come on! It's only fair when _I _do it!" The boy declared, still laughing as he attempted to roll away as the tickling got worse.

Zoro laughed, letting his hands stop and simply laying his palms against Luffy's bare stomach. If he had noticed the embarrassing closeness between them, he hadn't flinched away. "We should get to sleep," he said gently. "We gotta big day ahead of us tomorrow."

Luffy folded his arms and pouted up at the swordsman. "But I'm not tired!" He whined. However, his body seemed to think otherwise, as no sooner had he finished saying this when he yawned loudly.

Smiling some, Zoro pulled his arms away, flopping down beside the boy. He lifted a hand, affectionately brushing some of Luffy's wild hair from his face. Their little games seemed to have removed any uncertainty or embarrassment he had about being around Luffy. "You've been cooped up too long. We'll do something fun tomorrow." He grinned. "You ever have ridden a motorcycle?"

Luffy's eyes widened, a boyish grin spreading across his face. "A motorcycle?" He repeated. Then he frowned thoughtfully. "I don't know…I might have ridden one, but if I have I don't remember it. Why?"

Oh yeah... Zoro had forgotten about the amnesia thing, too. He grinned. "You wanna ride mine?" He smirked. "You'll have to hold on tight, though. Don't wanna lose you along the way." Nami and Vivi could take their own damn car to the mall.

Luffy's face lit up, his eyes shimmering with boyish excitement. "I get to ride on your motorcycle? Really?" He gasped.

"Yeah, if you want to," Zoro answered with a yawn. "It's much more exciting than taking a boring ol' car."

"Sweet!" Luffy cried, scooting closer to Zoro so he could wrap his arms around the swordsman's middle in a tight hug. "Thank you Zoro!"

Blinking a bit, Zoro felt his cheeks get warm. "Yeah... 'course." He placed a hand in Luffy's hair, smiling awkwardly. "Now, get some sleep, alright?"

Luffy made a face. How was he supposed to sleep knowing that he was going to get to ride on a _motorcycle _tomorrow? "Awww..." He whined into Zoro's shirt before pulling away to pout at the swordsman. "How am I supposed ta' sleep _now_?"

"Well," Zoro said sensibly, "If you _don't_ sleep, it'll take even longer for tomorrow to come." Still, he knew what Luffy was feeling. It was the same sensation young kids get the night before Christmas or the first day of school, and really, Luffy was nothing more than a big kid. "What, do I gotta drug you down or something?"

Luffy made a face at the thought. "Blah, no drugs. Pills are icky." He declared, sticking out his tongue. He sat up and pulled his knees up to his chest and pulled the comforter back so he could get under it…or rather, he tried to and failed miserably since Zoro was lying on top of it. "Tell me a story." The boy said simply as he jerked the comforter again.

Moving from the bed to momentarily stand at the side and help Luffy tug down the sheets, he slipped under them, waiting for Luffy to do the same before tugging them back up for warmth. "A... story?" he asked blankly. Really, story-telling was more Usopp's art form than Zoro's, and he found himself wracking his mind to think of one.

"Yeah!" Luffy said with a nod, eyes wide as he laid his head on the pillow. "A-and make it about…um…pirates, yeah!" He added.

"Pirates?" Zoro repeated. "Yeah, alright..." He seemed to know a pretty good story about them. Ussop had some weird comic thing he was always drawing about pirates anyway, but Zoro wasn't so sure he appreciated some of the things Ussop did in them. For one, Zoro didn't think Ussop would really make as good a captain as he thought he would... but who could the man cast in Usopp's place? He glanced towards Luffy... and then he grinned. His voice began to quietly ring through the room, telling a great story of a legendary treasure and a young, gleeful captain with a crew of strange characters, including a swordsman for a first mate who used three sharp katana to bring down any foe that threatened his captain.

Luffy listened intently to the story, eyes filled with wonder as he was told a tale of a world that really made no sense, with a legendary sea with all sorts of weird creatures, like a whale that rammed it's head into the side of a mountain all the time, or a little blue-nosed reindeer who walked and talked like a human. There were so many different islands, each its own quirks and its own stories to be told, with its own heroes and villains. And no matter what the young, gleeful captain encountered, he had his crew by his side, and with them there, there was nothing that they couldn't do. Besides the Captain and the First Mate there was Navigator who could predict the weather, and a sharpshooter who wanted to a great warrior of the sea even though he acted like a coward most of the time, and a cook who wanted to find an ocean where every fish in the world swam.

There were so many wonderful adventures that just went on and on…and as these tales were told, Luffy's eyes slowly began to drift shut as he snuggled against the pillow. He was beginning to feel really tired and he wanted to stay awake to find out what happened, but he was so tired. "Zoro…what happens when the Captain finally finds the treasure and becomes King of Pirates, and the First Mate becomes the Greatest Swordsman in the world? What happens then?" He asked in a sleepy sounding voice.

Zoro paused at this point, his story having taken them both well into the night and then the early morning, and even he was struggling to keep awake, his voice nearly spent. "...after that?" he asked, trying to think. "They'd stay together, of course. Sail the seas and keep having adventures... forever."

Luffy smiled at this, eyes finally falling shut as he curled up under the covers, snuggling a bit closer to Zoro. "…That's so cool...I wish I could do that…." He murmured before falling asleep.

"Yeah, kid..." Zoro whispered to the sleeping boy. "...me too…" He leaned slightly over Luffy, hesitating for only a moment, before he allow his emotions to finally get the better of him, placing a soft, whispering kiss against Luffy's cheek, at the corner of his mouth. His face felt burning warm, but he only pulled away, resting his head against the pillow and shutting his eyes. "Goodnight, Luffy."

* * *

The next morning Luffy awoke to pounding on Zoro's door. 

"Oi! Guys? It's like, twelve in the afternoon, you have to stop smooching and _get up_ at some point!" Nami's singsong voice came from behind the door.

"…Naaa?" Luffy mumbled, opening his eyes to view the brightly lit room. For one who had been woken up before the sun was up for the past two days, this was a new sight. He glanced around groggily for a few moments before he remembered; Zoro said he'd get to ride on his motorcycle today!

Luffy glanced over at Zoro, pulling an arm out from under the covers to poke the swordsman in the forehead over and over. "Oi! Zoro, wake up! Come on, wake up, you said you'd let me ride your motorcycle today! Zoro! Wake up!" He said in a cheery, sing-song voice that he apparently learned from Nami.

Awakening to a finger jamming against his temple repeatedly probably wasn't the greatest way for Zoro to greet the new day, and he instantly snatched Luffy's hand, cracking a very annoyed eye at the young boy. "Good morning to you, too," he grumped, rising from the bed and letting go of the boy's hand. "I need a shower first. Then we'll get to the damn mall."

Luffy grinned, clapping the soles of his feet together happily. "Yay! Mall! Motorcycle! Yay! Mall! Motorcycle!" He babbled as he rolled off the bed in search of the blue t-shirt and jeans he had worn the day before. He had only worn those for like, _half_ a day, they weren't _too_ dirty yet!

Glancing towards Luffy, Zoro sighed and stood from the bed, stretching and yawning. He rubbed his eyes, finally stumbling towards the door. "...I'll be quick."

"Okay!" Luffy said, waving. Since he was beside the bed looking for his clothes, however, the only that was visible was his waving arm, which was peeking from behind the bed.

Moving into the hallway, Zoro quickly went into the bathroom before anyone could interrupt him with stupid jokes about his sexuality. Shutting the door behind him, he quickly locked it, too, starting the water and climbing into the shower. He was still so exhausted. Washing quickly, he jumped out and dried off, pulling some clothes he had grabbed on and brushing his teeth.

Zoro knocked on the door to his room first, peeking inside. "Luffy? If you're ready, we'll tell Vivi and Nami and get going."

Luffy had apparently figured out where he had tossed the shirt and jeans from yesterday, as he was sitting on the bed wearing the jeans and struggling to pull on the shirt just as Zoro entered. "Yosh! I'm ready!" He cried, hopping off of the bed and rushing over to the door. "Let's-go-let's-go-let's-go-let's-go!" He babbled as he bounced up and down.

Blinking, Zoro sighed. Luffy really had made a full recovery... "Alright, alright, calm down already," he sighed, starting out the room and down the hall towards the stairs. Vivi was sitting at the kitchen table when Zoro got down there and poked his head in. She waved, smiling some.

"Are we leaving?" she asked cheerfully.

"...yeah, that's the plan," he said after a moment, glancing to Luffy. "You guys don't mind going in your car, do you? Luffy wanted to ride the motorcycle..."

"Motorcycle!" Luffy repeated as he appeared behind Zoro, punching his fist into the air. He then proceeded to march around, chanting the word over and over.

Nami raised a brow at Luffy's antics, but she could feel a smile creeping onto her face. "That's fine. I kind of figured you gay boys would want a bit more alone time anyway." She said as she sipped a glass of orange juice.

Zoro only rolled his eyes. "Oh, please," he scoffed. Looking to Luffy, he grabbed the boy's arm as he passed by, beginning to pull him from the kitchen. "So we'll meet you at the entrance in what, twenty minutes or so?"

Vivi smiled a nodded. "That sounds about right. You two have fun!" She waved them out, and Zoro happily left.

* * *

**To be continued… **

KuroKame: _Yup, that was dub Sanji. X3 Heh, glad you like how Luffy's written. Yes, watching ceiling fans is insanely entertaining; I do it a lot myself. _

**KairiQueen: **_Who says we didn't die laughing while writing that chapter? We could be zombies, you know. Maybe we merged bodies to live…you never know..(waves hands in an attempt to look spooky) _

**poxmaker: **_Yes Zoro, you're gay. Stop being in denial and admit it, you'll save yourself a lot of embarrassment in the long run. X3 Um..lesee here. As for the Japanese…my Japanese is very amature, but I'll answer to the best of my ability. Hopefully I'll get it right. _

"Ne" is sort of just a sound when I use it, but it can mean "right?" or something like that. "Ja Ne" is like saying "See you later" from what I've learned, but I could be wrong. Eh, it's some form of short-term goodbye… "-san" is a suffix put on the end of someone's name, usually to be polite. Generally used for someone older than you. "-kun" is a suffix you put at the end of a little boys name who is younger than you or is a close friend around your age. "-chan" is a suffix put at the end of a little girls name. "-sama" is a term of high respect, like "Lord". "-Dono" has even more respect than "-sama", it means "Master". "-Sensei" is for a teacher. Yeah. Hope that helped.

**Greiver5: **_The mercenary thing will show up eventually, I swear. X3 Yes, Luffy is awesome. _

**Mai Hayami: **_Awww, we made you act cheerful? Yay! (happy dance) X3 I see everyone hates the dub and loves the teasing..heh… _

**Rikku Rinku: **_Heh, thanks for your review. I kind of wish I had done that too….stupid dub Sanji and his stupid dub voice… _

**whooptidoo-basil:** _Oh my, I hope you didn't get in trouble for reading our fic during class! Glad you like the fic. _

**Crystal17: **_Wow, you made an exception for this fic…I feel special. Thank you! _

**Icy Sapphire15: **_Well, Constable's back now and our friend Mia is beta-ing now, so we don't need a beta anymore. Thank you for the offer though. _

**Griffingurl**_: Ace….um…(whistles) He'll show up….um….well, let's just say he's not showing up for awhile. You do get to see him in flashbacks though… _

**webs: **_Heh, thank you. It's not all my writing though, it's half written by Constable Remington…so the writing you thought was good was probably hers. Luffy is a bit childish, but you have to remember he sort of has amnesia, so he might not remember how to act his age… _

**Love is for fools: **_X3 Yes, no matter how bad we feel for Zoro, his torture is oh-so-much fun to read and to write. _

**QueenNarca: **_XD Tangled Web Luffy- now with ten percent more wallpaper watching for your enjoyment. _

**eminem4eva: **_Yes, Luffy is random ALWAYS. X3 But we love him for it. _

**AlibisDragon: **_But a rock just sits there all day, so you'd think it'd have a pretty large attention span... _

**Next chapter: Motorcycles and sushi. **

_I am the Dark Lord Digitaldreamer. I have forged the ruling_**review_…_THE ONE REVIEW TO RULE THEM ALL!**

**REVIEW!** _Perhaps you can forge a greater_ review _than __my **ONE REVIEW!**_  
__


	10. Motorcycles and Sushi

**-Tangled Web-**  
**A role-play/joint-fic by Digitaldreamer and Constable Remington  
Chapter Ten: Motorcycles and Sushi **

_Woot! Guess who just became a Sophomore and is out of school for the summer? I am! So is Constable, so… I guess that means more role-playing! I think…. _

Yeah. I'm happy, I'm finally free of school for awhile! Woot!

_Squee! The reviewers make Digitaldreamer so happy! I'm happy to see you all thought the last chapter was cute _

…Um yeah. I got nothing else to say save for enjoy the chapter!

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The motorcycle sat quietly in the driveway beside Robin's car and Zoro approached it, digging keys from his pocket. He swung a leg over, sitting comfortably on it, then looked to Luffy. "You really need to hold on tight the whole time," he said seriously. "All right?"

Luffy, who had been staring at the bike with wide eyes the moment he caught sight of it, snapped back to reality and nodded. He slung a leg over the motorcycle as Zoro had done and sitting down behind him. He locked his arms around Zoro's waist tightly, still bouncing in his seat as his legs dangled over the sides of the bike. "This is so cool! I bet this thing can go _really_ fast, right Zoro? Right? We're gonna go _really_ fast, right?" he babbled, sounding like a little kid at Christmas.

Pushing the keys into the ignition, Zoro sighed but nodded. "Sure. We'll go fast, Luffy." Turning the keys, the bike sputtered the life, and within moments, the two were streaking down the highway towards the mall. The wind pushed across his face, and he grinned. He loved his motorcycle... and the pair of arms around his waist wasn't so bad, either.

Luffy was whooping and hollering as they sped down the highway, messy black hair flying in the wind. "WHOOO! This is so cool! Everything's all blurry and we're going so fast and it's all like VROOM and WHOOOOO!" His thrilled cries were mostly lost with the wind, but his complete and utter bliss carried through just the same as his arms unconsciously tightened around the swordsman's waist.

Zoro nearly swerved off the road with Luffy's enthusiasm, and he was quite relieved to safely arrive at the mall within time, parking near the entrance and sliding from the bike. He laughed some at Luffy's lopsided mop, brushing a hand through the soft hair in an attempt to calm it. "You have fun?"

Luffy beamed and nodded. "Yeah, that was awesome! We get to ride home on him too, right?" he asked as he hopped off of the motorcycle, patting it as if it were a living thing.

"Yeah, of course," Zoro answered with a shrug. "We gotta get it back home and everything." Glancing towards the entrance, he noted that Nami and Vivi hadn't arrived yet. Sighing, he began to walk towards it. "I guess we'll just wait out here for them."

Luffy continued his little worship service for the motorcycle for a few more seconds before jogging to catch up with Zoro. As soon as he fell into step beside the older man, his stomach growled loudly. Luffy stopped and blinked down at his stomach before laughing and scratching his head. "Hee hee hee….guess I'm kinda hungry…"

Zoro blinked, eyes widening at the loud grumble Luffy's stomach gave. "Yeah... sounds like it." He grinned a bit, wondering how Luffy could possibly be hungry after all that pizza the night before. "When we meet up with Vivi and Nami, we'll get something to eat, alright?"

"Okay!" Luffy said with a grin. He then promptly plopped down in the middle of the concrete walkway that lead to the entrance of the mall, sitting Indian style on the ground and just watching the cars and people in the huge parking lot. Apparently he didn't notice the large multitude of stares that he was attracting.

Zoro gawked down at the boy before he quickly leaned down, hooking his hands under Luffy's armpits and tugging him back up to a stand. "Luffy, you can't just sit down right in the middle of the ground!" He glanced around the parking lot, trying to nervously smile away the stares. "Here, there's a bench right here. Sit on that instead." He waved Luffy over to the wooden bench. "We shouldn't have to wait long..."

Luffy blinked, a bit confused. "Why can't I sit on the ground? I _like_ sitting on the ground. I'm easier to find there too, so Nami and Vivi will come and we can go eat faster." he explained, turning and trying to head back to the spot.

"No... Luffy, don't--" Zoro attempted to hold him to the bench when he heard girlish giggling from behind. Turning, he looked up to see Vivi, smiling and waving.

"Looks like you have your hands full, Roronoa-san," she commented, and he sighed.

"Oh, he doesn't mind," Nami said with a mischievous grin. "He _likes_ having to keep the kid out of trouble and he knows it."

Luffy spun around to stare blankly at the two girls. Then he grinned, waving enthusiastically. "Hi guys! When did you get here?"

"Just now!" Vivi answered, returning his enthusiasm. Zoro frowned towards Nami, but decided just not to respond. He'd probably say something wrong and fuel the fire or something.

"Luffy's hungry," he finally said, "So we're gonna get something to eat. You wanna come?"

"Yay, food!" Luffy cheered.

Nami frowned thoughtfully for a moment, then grinned. "Sure, why not? Can't let you boys have all the time to yourselves," she said, her heels clicking as she walked over to them.

Zoro shrugged, turning to begin to walk inside. Vivi followed, giggling a bit. She seemed to find Luffy and Zoro's strange relationship quite entertaining. The group entered into the noisy, bustling food court and Zoro looked around.

"I'm not hungry," he said with a shrug. "But you can get whatever you want."

Luffy's eyes widened. "_Anything_ I want?" he repeated.

Nami groaned, slapping her forehead. _Damn you Zoro and your unconscious woo-ing of the same sex! _There was no way Zoro would have any cash to mooch from by the time this was done.

Luffy gazed around the food court, the bright neon signs reflecting in his wide eyes. After a few moments he pointed at the sushi bar across the room from the entrance to the food court. "Ouuu, that place looks cool! Let's eat there!" he cried, jumping up and down.

"All right, all right..." Zoro sighed. It was a good thing he hadn't spent the money from his last job, that was for sure. The group walked forward until the arrived at the tiny bar. Zoro took a seat, Vivi sliding down as well, making sure that she left a space for Luffy to sit beside the swordsman.

Luffy hopped into the seat between Zoro and Vivi, still bouncing up and down. Nami sat down next to Vivi, leaning forward so she could look down the table at Zoro and Luffy. A waiter came to hand out menus and take their drink orders.

Luffy frowned as the various sodas were listed off. "What's a mountain dew?" he asked.

Nami's eyes widened as she thought of how energetic the boy already was, and what a hefty amount of caffeine and sugar would do. She could already picture it…the mall in flames, people running around and screaming in terror… noodles. She immediately leaned over Vivi so she could cover Luffy's mouth. "He wants….um…tea," she said over Luffy's muffled cries, nodding feverishly.

The man rose an eyebrow at her, then at the struggling Luffy. "Can't he tell me himself what he wa-"

"_He wants tea_," Nami insisted in a syrupy tone, giving her most winning smile. "And I'll have a Diet Pepsi."

"Ah…okay," the man said, brows furrowing in confusion. "What do you want, ma'am?" he asked, glancing at Vivi.

"Oh... I'll have the same," she said with a smile, leaning her head towards Nami. "A Diet Pepsi." She took a moment now to glance over the menu.

"I'll take water," Zoro muttered. His eyes met Nami's and he mouthed a quick 'thank you' in response to her saving of his sanity. Luffy on caffeine was not a good idea.

"Okay, I'll be back in a minute with drinks and to take your order," the man said as he scrawled the drinks onto a notepad and walked away.

Nami released Luffy's mouth and nodded at Zoro, winking. 'Since you're paying I'll let this one slide,' she mouthed back.

Luffy had apparently forgotten that he was missing out on mountain dew, as he was too busy looking over the menu. "Ouuuuuuuuu, what's tempora? I don't care, it looks yummy, we should get that! And California rolls! And rainbow rolls! And lot's of sushi even though I have no idea what it is!" he babbled as he grinned from ear to ear.

"Oi, Vivi, you want to just get a sushi platter to share? It comes with miso soup and I'm not too hungry," Nami said as she glanced at Vivi.

Zoro had almost objected when Nami had said he way paying, as he certainly hadn't been planning on paying for them. But he calmed once he heard Nami's order and Vivi nodded happily in agreement. That wasn't so expensive. Turning his attention on Luffy, however, Zoro sighed. "Yeah... sure kid, get what you want. At least I know it won't go to waste. Just remember that we still need money to buy you clothes."

Luffy nodded, glancing over the menu. "Oh yeah, we're here to buy clothes…hmmm…so I guess that means I can't get a whole lot or I'd end up wasting all of your money…." He frowned, scratching his head. "Oh, I know! I'll get that tempora stuff and whatever you're getting!" he said, grinning at Zoro.

Zoro sighed, shaking his head. "I'm not getting anything," he said. "I already told you I wasn't hungry. So you can order something else, if you're that hungry."

"Oh yeah," Luffy said, frowning. Then he shrugged, glancing back at the menu. "Okay then! Can I get tempora and a California roll and the thing Nami and Vivi are having?" he asked, looking to Zoro again.

"...Yeah, yeah, sure," he said, leaning his head back against the chair. The waiter returned just as Zoro had finished, beginning to gather up the menus.

"Are you all ready to order?" he asked, and Vivi nodded, politely giving her and Nami's order, as well as what Luffy had just asked. The waiter nodded, bowing a bit and leaving back to the kitchen.

"So," Vivi asked, mostly to Nami, "where do you think we should look to get clothes for Luffy?"

Nami shrugged, propping her head against her hands. "Oh, we'll see. Anywhere that has something cute and isn't fifty million sizes too big on him like Zoro's old clothes," she said, glancing over at Luffy as she spoke, chuckling a bit at how the sleeves of the t-shirt hung off him and became a small pool of blue fabric on the table-top.

"I _like_ Zoro's old clothes!" Luffy interjected, sipping his tea and making a face at the taste.

Nami rolled her eyes. "That's because you're a boy, you don't know any better. We'll find just the right outfits that will make you look so good it'll cause your gay lover over there nosebleeds," she drawled, pointing at Zoro.

Zoro sputtered into his water, choking on a piece of ice that had suddenly lodged in his throat. He spit it back into the cup, his face glowing red. "I haven't paid for you yet, you know!"

Nami burst into giggles. She laughed for a few moments before grinning mischievously at the swordsman. "You're only mad because you know if we put him in the right outfit you _so_ would be turned on," she said as she waved a hand at him dismissively.

Luffy blinked in confusion. Turned on? What on earth did _that_ mean?

Zoro could hardly answer for a minute. He lifted his hands to cover Luffy's ears. He better not end up having to explain all THIS to the kid! "Damnit, Nami!" he hissed. If this resulted in any trips to goddamn Victoria's Secret or something, Zoro was going to kill something.

Luffy just sort of sat there, blinking in confusion. Why was Zoro covering his ears? Eh, whatever, he was getting that cool under watery feeling in his ears...that was always cool.

Nami rose an eyebrow at this. "What's wrong? Doesn't he understand the whole concept of the birds and the bees yet, or did he forget that too?" she asked, leaning a bit closer to the two boys.

"He doesn't even know what a kiss is!" Zoro replied defensively.

Nami's eyes widened a bit at this. "Oh really?" One could practically hear the gears turning in her head. "So you don't want to have to explain to him that stuff, eh?"

Wondering where all this could possibly be leading, Zoro decided to answer as truthfully as possible, especially since this didn't seem incriminating. "No! How can someone possibly explain that!"

Nami's smirk widened. "Yeah…so maybe that would mean you'd have to _show him_, hmmmm?"

"He doesn't need to know!" Zoro objected, feeling far-too-warm. He pulled his hands from Luffy's ears, confident he had ended the conversation.

Luffy blinked, looking from Nami's far too wide grin to Zoro's beet red face. Gee, what was that all about? Did it involve the 'turning on' thing?

Fortunately for Zoro, the waiter chose that moment to arrive with the appetizers of miso soup and the tempora.

"Woot, food!" Luffy cried, grabbing one of the bowls of soup and slurping it up. Nami took her own bowl and sipped it daintily, still smiling.

Tasting hers as well, Vivi smiled some and looking at Luffy. "Do you like it?" she asked.

Zoro merely crossed his arms over his chest and glared at his orange-haired friend. She was far too sneaky for her own good. She better not have anything planned.

Luffy nodded as he set the empty bowl down. "That was yummy!" he said with a grin, reaching for the tempora and stuffing it into his mouth at break neck speed.

Nami watched Luffy stuff his face, wrinkling her nose. "Can you even _taste _it?"

Luffy nodded. "Yeah, it's good!" he said through a mouthful of shrimp.

Vivi laughed a bit, just finishing her soup as Luffy was already done with his shrimp. The waiter came to take the bowls, raising an eyebrow and watching Luffy. Indeed, several people in the restaurant were staring at the group.

Luffy continued to eat, oblivious to the stares. Finally he was down to the last piece. He opened his mouth, about to pop it in, when he noted Zoro. He felt kind of bad since Zoro hadn't even gotten any soup. He stared down at the piece of vegetable tempora for a moment before holding it out to Zoro with a grin. "You're _sure_ you don't even want one piece of tempora?" he asked.

Zoro blinked. As serious as Luffy seemed to be about food, he had to admit that he felt pretty lucky to be offered even a small piece of the boy's meal. "Nah, it's alright," he said, knowing that eating a little bit would make him hungry for more. "You can have it."

Luffy stared at Zoro for a moment, then shrugged. "Okay!" He said, popping the piece of tempora into his mouth and swallowing it, a satisfied grin on his face. Then he frowned. "…I'm still hungry!" he whined.

Nami rolled her eyes. "Maybe because the real food's not here yet?" she suggested.

"Calm down, calm down," Zoro said, ruffling Luffy's hair affectionately. "It'll be here soon enough."

Luffy pouted. "But it should be here now, cause I'm hungry _now_!" he declared, folding his arms and sulking like a little kid.

Nami sweatdropped. "What, do you expect it to just come now because you said that?"

"Yes."

And low and behold, at that moment the waiter showed up with their food.

"Whoo, food!" Luffy cried, punching his fists into the air as the sushi platter was placed in front of him. Nami just stared, mouth agape.

"That was just lucky," Zoro remarked, though his tone held a bit of amusement. He definitely enjoyed Nami being the confused one for once.

Nami finally forced her jaw shut as Luffy began to shovel the sushi into his mouth. "R-right…wow…quite the coincidence…" she muttered as she pulled apart her chopsticks and began to eat her half of the sushi platter.

Vivi had already started to eat, quietly. She finished a piece, and then turned a bit to smile up at Zoro. "Thanks for paying, Roronoa-san."

"...Yeah, yeah." He sighed, brushing a hand through Luffy's hair boredly. "You like it, kid?"

Luffy nodded as he grinned widely around a mouthful of sushi, a few stray grains of rice around his mouth. "Yup!" He swallowed before considering and adding what Vivi had said since it sounded like the right thing to say. "Thank you for paying, Zoro!"

Blushing a little, Zoro nodded, reaching a hand up to allow his thumb to trail across Luffy's lips and chin and brush the stray rice away. "Yeah, sure."

Luffy just grinned. In the background Nami had to turn away so Zoro couldn't see her cracking up.

"Look at them! Zoro is _so_ in denial!" she whispered into Vivi's ear as she elbowed her in the side.

Vivi couldn't help but giggle a bit as well, nodding some. Zoro's hand still lingered for a moment on Luffy's chin, and she whispered quickly to Nami, "Well, it _does_ look like he's about to pull him in for a kiss..."

Nami giggled again. "He _so _wants to, he just doesn't want to admit it."

Luffy blinked up at Zoro in confusion as the swordsman's hand stayed on his chin, feeling his heart thump in his chest. _Why is he…why do I feel all warm and tingly? It's like that one time when we kissed…and there's that mystery feeling again... _

Similar thoughts seemed to be running through Zoro's mind as he stared seriously into Luffy's shining eyes, but, suddenly remembering where he was, he quickly pulled his hand away and blushed, turning slightly away from his little friend. "Hurry and finish so we can get you some clothes."

Luffy blinked, the spell broken. He grinned again, turning back to his food. "Okay!" he said, beginning to eat at lighting speed again.

Nami snapped her fingers. "Damnit, so close!" she hissed, eating one of the last pieces of sushi.

Setting down her chopsticks, Vivi laughed a bit, amused that Nami had taken such a serious position in Zoro's relationship affairs. Zoro, meanwhile, pretended he hadn't heard her, having finished his water and grabbed up Luffy's mostly-full glass to take a drink.

Luffy didn't really seem to mind that Zoro was drinking his tea; he had decided that tea tasted nasty anyway. He opened his mouth to eat another piece of sushi…and his mouth closed around an empty pair of chopsticks. He blinked in confusion, pulling them out to stare at them for a moment before looking down at the empty platter.

"Awww…" he sighed, setting down his chopsticks and rocking back and forth on his stool. "Ah well…that was yummy!"

Nami set down her chopsticks. "Yes, it _was _good. Thank you for buying, Zoro!" she said, sounding genuinely thankful. She glanced down at the other three at the table. "Ready to pay and go pick out some clothes then?" she asked.

"Yeah!" Luffy cried, bouncing up and down and taking the stool with him as he bounced.

Zoro chanced a wary glance to Luffy, making a face. The waiter quickly brought the check as he saw Luffy begin to get restful, and Zoro left the money on the bar, standing from his stool. "All right, all right, let's start moving before Luffy goes crazy."

"Yosh!" Luffy cried, jumping up from his seat.

Nami shook her head, but she smiled as she stood. "Right, let's get going."

Finishing her drink, Vivi stood as well, and the group made their way from the tiny sushi bar out into the busy walkways of the mall. Zoro had pretty much decided that since Nami and Vivi had come, it really wasn't _his_ job to decide where to shop, and he walked casually, not really paying attention to where they were going. Instead he watched Luffy from the corner of his eye.

The way those big dark eyes had sparkled up at him...

Zoro quickly shook his head, deciding that tonight; he was going to need much more sleep.

Luffy was gazing around at the mall, eyes filled with wonder as he stared up at the high ceilings, the fountains, all of the shops, and all of the strange people walking around. It was so _cool_! He nearly ran into people several times as he was so absorbed in looking around, but fortunately someone would always pull him out of the way before they attracted any more attention to themselves.

Eventually Nami and Vivi must have picked out a store because Nami grabbed Luffy and Zoro's arms and pulled them into a random shop.

Nami immediately began going through the racks, pulling out various articles of clothing before either tossing them away with an angry mumble or shoving them into Zoro's arms as she reached for something else.

Zoro decided not to even watch the clothes that were piling up in his arms, unable to understand some of the weird things people were wearing these days. Still, he was beginning to get rather annoyed that Nami was more or less using him as a shopping cart. He hadn't expected this to really take long -- just to go in, grab something that looked like it fit, buy it and get out. But Nami and Vivi seemed to have a much different idea.

Eventually Nami seemed to decide they had enough things for now and she hauled Luffy off to the dressing rooms. She pushed a horribly confused Luffy into the dressing room.

"Just put it on and come out so we can see, okay?" she said with a grin.

"Um…okay," Luffy said as the door was slammed shut behind him.

Nami grinned at the door as she heard shuffling sounds behind it. "You're so going to love this, Zoro," she said.

Zoro rose an eyebrow, leaning boredly against the wall, but shrugged. "Yeah, whatever," he muttered.

"Nami?" Luffy called from behind the door.

"Yeah?"

"This is…really weird. Are you sure guys are supposed to wear this stuff?"

"Oh don't worry, I'm sure you'll look fine in it, come on out!" Nami said, waving her hand dismissively.

The door cracked open and Luffy walked out…

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**To be continued…**

_Ah ha ha ha! Cliffie! _

I know, I'm evil.

Reviews!

**poxmaker: **_Awwww, the last chapter even made you feel better about having to do homework? Wow, I feel so loved! Glad you like this fic. Thank you so much for your reviews, they make me happy! _

**Griever5: **_Heh…yes, what do Ussop and Nami have planned? Mwa ha ha….as for Robin…(cackles insanely) You'll have to keep reading to find out, sha ha ha:3 I'm glad you found Luffy and Zoro's wrestling cute, it was a lot of fun to write. _

**Mai Hayami: **_Dude, sushi is like the most awesome food ever. Except for pocky. Pocky is GOD. Glad you like this fic._

_  
_**KuroKame: **_X3 But we heart the stupid smile! It means we've done something right, don't hide it! I wish someone would tell me stories about pirates and legendary treasures too. _

**Love is for fools: **_(steals the One Review back) Mine! Yay, we've made you happy with motorcycles and Zoro X Luffy. _

**Katiiey: **_Two words; Thank you for your review! Eh, I guess that was longer than two… _

**Darkday Chaos: **_Yup, that's what "Yosh!" means. I'm glad we're keeping the characters in-character! It makes me happy. Yeah, quite a few romance fics are like that, I'm glad ours is at least managing not to be like that. (Happy dance) Glad you like the fic! _

**Griffingurl: **_Hmmm…will he buy a hat? We'll see! He has to get the hat somehow, ne? As for the flashbacks, there's one coming soon! Yus…everyone wonders what happened to Luffy…and how Kuro is involved, but you won't be finding out for awhile. Sha ha ha! Yes, I'm evil. _

**Icy Sapphire15: **_I agree, noon is too early to get up. .O Far too early. _

**night-chan: **_Don't worry about reviewing, just do it when you have the time. We always love your reviews 3_

**KairiQueen: **_Ack! I__have been tickled! Yay-ness! Darn right, you stay off that motorcycle because Zoro and Luffy need their time alone! X3 I'm happy we made you squee uncontrollably. Yeah, I know the OP story thing was a bit cliché, but hey, it was cute! I made you say yosh? I feel special. And bah, my One Review is still WAY better, cause mine isn't all caps. It's cooler. _

**Xeora: **_O.o Eeep, a curse? I'd better update fast then! _

**Next chapter: **_Luffy finally gets new clothes, a promise is made, and we finally get around to checking Luffy's records! _

**Dear Reader, **

_I have kidnapped the newest Tangled Web chapter. If you want it back, please send me plenty of **REVIEW**s or you will never see it again. _

(Insert maniacal laughter here)


	11. Promise me

**-Tangled Web-**  
**A role-play/joint-fic by Digitaldreamer and Constable Remington  
Chapter Eleven: Promise me **

_Wow. This fanfic….has officially hit the one hundred review mark. It hasn't even been online for a full month. Wow…..just wow. _

_Thank you all so much! This fanfic hasn't even been here for a full month and already you all are giving it so much love! We've only got ten chapters and we're barely even into the plot and you're all giving it so much love! I love you all! I especially love all of you whom have been reading since chapter one, you guys are awesome and you leave such wonderful reviews that I probably don't deserve! (Constable does, cause she rocks like that.)_

_There's a longer thank-you list at the end of chapter, but I'll specially thank Griffingurl  
(It's kinda funny how our 100th review is by an anonymous reviewer. XD) since she was our 100th reviewer! Thank you very much Griffin-san! As our 100th reviewer you get an extra special gift—you get to request a drabble from me! It can be about whatever you want as long as I know the fandom! So go on, tell me what you want! _

_Thank you so much you guys, let's get for two hundred! _

_Well, here we are. Chapter eleven of Tangled Web. It's so fitting that our 100th review would be for the tenth chapter of the fic, just before the chapter which includes a plot point which sets of the real beginning of the plot. It's wonderful. _

_I warn you right now; the ending of this chapter is a cliff-hanger. The most horribly cliff-hanger ever, that's what it is. But I couldn't help it, it was such a wonderful place to leave off that I couldn't resist!_

_Enjoy the chapter, and I apologize for the cliffie!_

**_

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The door cracked open and Luffy walked out…

In a school-girl uniform or something like it. He had the sailor design shirt and everything, but the skirt was shorter than usual. The boy stopped just outside of the door, feeling a slight blush creep onto his cheeks. This was really weird.

Zoro just... stared blankly for a moment, before his entire body felt as if it had been plunged into a bucket of ice and then thrown into boiling water. He could feel the blood rushing to his face, his hands beginning to shake. "Lu- Luffy--" he gasped, suddenly pushing forward past Nami and Vivi; pulling Luffy into the dressing room, closing and locking the door after them. "Boys aren't supposed to wear that!" he hissed, glad he had gotten away quickly. "Change into something else, okay? There's no telling what your family will think if I take you home in that!"

Luffy blinked in confused. He pulled on the hem of the skirt. "So guys aren't supposed to wear this? Then why did Nami give it to me?" He asked, confused. Gee, Zoro was redder than a tomato! Did it have to do with the outfit and the 'turning on' thing from earlier?

Zoro shook his head, covering his mouth quickly with his hand. "Nami gave it to you because she thought it would be funny for me to see you dressed like a girl," he replied bluntly. He was sure he had a damn nosebleed, and when he pulled his hand away from his face, it was confirmed. Zoro quickly wiped the blood away, rummaging around in the big stack of clothes Nami had chosen. "There's gotta be something better in here."

The boy blinked again, scratching his head. Then he shrugged. "Oh, okay…" He looked down at the clothes, then suddenly let out a yelp and pulled a small hoody from the pile. He immediately tore off the top of the school-girl outfit and pulled it over his head, then grinned down at it. It was fairly tight fitting white hoody with bright red sleeves, the words "Pirate King" sewn onto the front in sparkling letters, along with the number "01".

He then pulled a pair of tight-fitting khaki's from the pile and yanked the navy blue skirt off, pulling the pants on in its place. They were rather tight, probably girls khaki's from the looks of things, but they did look good on him.

"Ouuuu, how spiffy!" Luffy said as he glanced in the mirror.

Zoro frowned at how exceedingly girly Luffy looked, but he only sighed. "Yeah, it looks good. You like it? Go show Nami and Vivi."

"Okay!" Luffy beamed, unlocking the door and walking out.

Nami, who had been whispering to Vivi, frowned as Luffy walked out. She walked up to him, pacing around him and looking up and down. Finally she grinned. "Looking good!" She said with a thumbs-up, glancing at Vivi. "What do you think, Vivi?"

"Adorable!" Vivi agreed, smiling towards him. "Did you want to try on anything else?"

Zoro, not really wanting to stay much longer, crossed his arms. "I think that's good, right, Luffy?"

Luffy nodded, grinning. "I like this! I don't need anything else." He said, rushing back into the changing room to get back into the clothes Zoro lent him so they could pay for the new ones.

"B-but…he hasn't tried on anything else!" Nami cried, flailing her arms. Then she sighed, folding her arms. "Fine, fine," She went through the rest of the pile of clothes, pulling out a few choice items, and then held them out to Zoro. "He doesn't need to try these on, but he should get them. I'm sure they'll fit, and he's going to need something besides just that, who knows what he's got at home?"

Zoro stared at them, making a face. Finally he sighed, giving in. "Yeah, yeah, fine, whatever." He didn't mind spending his money on Luffy's clothes so much, as long as the boy liked them. Besides, he made enough money to have extra enough for this. Taking them from her, he waited for Luffy to come back out.

Luffy pulled off the hoody and put Zoro's shirt back on. He paused a moment to sniff the blue fabric, savoring the smell. It had Zoro's scent to it, the tang of metal and the copper of blood and sweat, with just a bit of incense mixed in. It was a very distinct smell and in only the past two days Luffy had come to recognize and relish it. He did like his new clothes, but these were _Zoro's _clothes, and that made them special. The boy kind of hoped Zoro would let him keep these ones, if only as something to remember this short time by.

He exited the changing room, nearly tripping over the ends of the torn jeans as he came out and handed the khakis and hoody to Zoro. "Can we go now?" He asked, cocking his head to the side as he looked up at Zoro. He did like shopping, but just looking at clothes got really boring after awhile.

Zoro nodded some, his hand brushing over Luffy's as he grabbed the clothes from him. "Yeah, sure," Taking the clothes to the register, Zoro quickly paid for them, grabbing the bag. He glanced to Vivi. "Could you take these homes?" he asked, handing her the bag. "It's hard to carry anything on the motorcycle, and Luffy and I are gonna stop somewhere before we go home."

She took the bag and nodded some. "Of course, Roronoa-san; I'll just leave them in your room."

"Thanks..." He smiled some, beginning out the store and through the crowded mall once more.

Luffy's brow furrowed in confusion as he followed Zoro out of the store; "Where are we stopping?" He asked, sounding confused.

"It's a surprise," Zoro said with a grin, ruffling the boy's hair. "You'll like it."

"Oooh, it's a surprise!" Luffy grinned as well. "I love surprises!"

"Aren't they cute?" Vivi whispered towards Nami, smiling.

Zoro pulled Luffy slightly forward, not really wanting Nami and Vivi to follow them. Once they reached the parking lot, he smiled, sliding onto the bike. Yeah... today was a good day, he had decided.

Nami beamed. "Yeah…they are. Now if Zoro would _stop being in denial and admit to himself that he loves the kid already _they'd be even cuter." She fumed, and then went back to smiling. "Come on; let's go check out a few other stores!" She said, pulling Vivi along.

* * *

Luffy hopped onto the motorcycle behind Zoro, putting his arms around Zoro's waist once more. The boy grinned, squeezing Zoro's waist as he hugged the swordsman from behind. "Today has been so much fun Zoro, thanks for taking me along!" He said, cheek pressed against the back of Zoro's shirt. 

Zoro smiled a little, slightly leaning into Luffy. "Yeah... of course; I'm glad you could have some fun with us before you have to..." he stopped "Ah, never mind." Zoro quickly turned the keys in the ignition and the motorcycle came to life. Within no time, they were out of the parking lot and speeding down the street.

Once again Luffy was laughing and hollering as they rode down the street, black hair flying in the wind as he cheered. "WHOOO! This never stops being _so freaking awesome_!"

Zoro laughed out, suddenly pulling off into a small street and parking his motorcycle on the side of the road. There was a small park there, complete with a playground and swing set. "Thought you could get some of that endless energy out," he said with a grin.

Luffy's eyes widened. "WOW! Awesome!" He cried, vaulting off of the motorcycle and running over to the playground with childish glee. However, before he could get to the playground he skidded to a stop and ran back to give Zoro a quick hug. "THANK YOU ZORO!" He cried before running back so fast one would have thought he teleported.

Zoro sat there for a moment in silence, before he grinned and rushed after Luffy, intent on not letting the boy have all the fun to himself.

Luffy climbed up onto the jungle gym like a monkey, swinging up to the top with ease. He grinned down at Zoro, kicking his feet in the air. "I win!" He declared, though once again he probably had no idea what he had won.

Climbing after him, Zoro grinned. Training had given him strength and swiftness, too, and he easily reached Luffy quick. "You win, huh? Now what am I supposed to give you?"

Luffy frowned, scratching his head. Then he grinned at Zoro. "Hmmm...just give me a promise." He said, leaning against Zoro's shoulder.

"A promise…?" Zoro repeated, his arm slipping around Luffy's waist.

Luffy nodded, snuggling against Zoro's shirt. "Yeah, a promise. That you'll stay with me until the end of….nah, scratch that. Promise me you'll stay with me forever and ever!"

"Forever?" He blinked some, leaning back to look at Luffy. "...that's... a long time, Luffy." He was just a kid... what if he lost interest in the swordsman? Zoro sighed some, not wanting to think about it.

Luffy looked up at him, pouting. Maybe Zoro didn't want to be with him forever? But he had to promise, he just had to! "So? Promise me anyway! Promise me that you'll be with me forever and ever, and even when we die! Promise me that no matter what, you'll still be there for me."

Zoro turned his face some to stare down at Luffy seriously, before he gently pushed his lips to the boy's ear. "Yeah, I promise," he whispered softly.

Luffy smiled, propping his head on Zoro's shoulder as he leaned against the older man. "Great." He whispered back. He stayed there for a few moments, just enjoying being close to the swordsman, feeling his warmth, hearing his breathing, eyes closed in bliss.

Then he sat up, grinning widely. "Okay, now let's play a game!" He said, kicking his feet idly in the air.

Surprised by the sudden change of subject, Zoro met it with a grin. "Alright, what kind of game?"

Luffy frowned thoughtfully for a moment before grinning and reaching into Zoro's pocket, snatching his wallet in one swift movement. "Yoink!" He squeaked, jumping from the jungle gym to the ground. He held the wallet up, waving it and grinning devilishly. "Cops and Robbers! Now catch me if you can!" He crowed, running towards the main play structure.

Zoro sat there, stunned for a moment, before he too jumped to the ground, beginning to chase after Luffy. He didn't mind that his wallet was missing, but he wanted to win this game!

Luffy laughed, clearing the little stairs that led into the play structure in one jump and diving through a tunnel to the other side. He then ran around the corner and across one of the rickety bridges, so now he was in the inner parts of the plastic structure and the only way to get to him would be to go through a few twists and turns.

He would probably have time to run before Zoro got close enough, so Luffy paused to stick his tongue out at Zoro. "You'll never get me, Copper!" He cried in a playful tone.

"We'll see about that!" Zoro responded with an amused laugh, following Luffy as best he could.

Luffy just laughed again, climbing up the winding stairs of one of the towers. Of course, there was a problem with this, as the tower only had one way in, so it was pretty much dead end; save for the window. Fortunately the tower wasn't too high up, so Luffy slipped out of the window and climbed along the outside of the tower until he got to the monkey bars. He jumped on these and climbed over them, then hopped down when he got to the other side, looking back to see where Zoro was.

Zoro had given up on following Luffy step for step, instead turning and watching him climb over the money bars and jump down. He smirked, beginning to rush after him. Zoro was fast, that was one thing he had going for him. After all, he often had to chase people down. Not many went quietly anymore...

Luffy yelped, noting that Zoro was gaining on him since he hadn't taken Luffy's little acrobatic detours and had instead just chased him in a straight line. He charged up the stairs to one of the winding slides, and then slid down it.

Heading him off, Zoro raced to the end of the slide, catching Luffy at the end of it and attempting to grab his wrists to pin him to the brightly-colored plastic.

The boy yelped in surprised as he suddenly found himself caught in Zoro's arms. He squirmed in Zoro's grip, trying to get loose. But no matter how hard he struggled he found himself pinned against the slide with a small BANG from the impact, Zoro holding each wrist on either side of his head. Luffy squirmed for another few seconds, trying to get loose, before falling limp and panting for breath.

Blinking, Zoro felt his face get suddenly warm again, and he grinned. "Looks like you're under arrest, Luffy!" Zoro snatched his wallet back.

Luffy pouted, but he could only hold the expression for a few seconds before laughing. "Yeah, guess I am!"

"Well," Zoro said after a moment, loosening his grip a bit. "Maybe I could let you off for good behavior."

"Woo, good behavior!" Luffy cheered, pulling his wrists free and sitting up as he laughed out loud.

Zoro stood there above him, watching the young boy, a small smile on his face. "You done stealing my things now, captain?" The title was a last-minute add-on, something that simply came to him because of the story he had told the night before. It seemed strange, but he liked it for some reason, and his grin widened.

Luffy threw back his head and laughed again, the sound carrying through the treetops. "Yeah, I'd say I'm done, first mate. There's no point in stealing my crew's own booty, ne?" He said, grin widening as well.

Laughing some too, Zoro slumped down in the sand at the end of the slide, facing the boy. He fell silent after a moment, though, thinking. Luffy really was doing better... and even Zoro had thought about checking his records that day. "Luffy," he said suddenly. "How can I stay with you forever? You have to go home."

Luffy cocked his head to the side as Zoro spoke, face falling as the issue of him going home came up. _But I don't know if I want to go home..._ For some reason whenever it was mentioned the boy felt his heart sink, as if there was something there that he didn't know about but knew he didn't want to go back to. He pulled his knees up to his chest and propped his head upon them, shrugging. "I don't know. You come visit me and I'll visit you. We'll make it work somehow, you promised." He said simply.

Zoro nodded carefully. "Yeah, I promised." His eyes focused down on the sand, unsure how to bring this up. "Luffy, we need to go check your records."

Luffy looked down at his knees, focusing on the rips and tears in the old fabric. "Yeah…I'm getting better….I guess that means we have to, huh?"

"...Yeah." Zoro answered quietly, tracing his name in the sand with a finger. "We should... we should probably go today. Your family must be so worried, Luffy..." He didn't have the right to deprive those people of their little boy. It wasn't fair. "We'll... we'll check them today. And you can stay with me one more night. Then tomorrow morning, we'll take you... alright?

The boy bit his lip, his fingers clenching at the folds in Zoro's jeans. _Yeah...my family must be worried…but I don't even remember them. Zoro, Vivi, Nami, Ussop, Sanji, and Robin…they feel more like family to me, even if I've only known them for a few days...I guess I should be glad I get one more night with them. _

He sighed, hugging his knees to his chest and burying his face into the jeans, inhaling Zoro's scent yet again. _It's not like I could stay here and be a burden forever._ "…Kay." He mumbled, voice muffled a bit.

Zoro could tell Luffy was upset. He stood from the sand, suddenly wrapping his arms around Luffy's shoulders and pulling the little huddled body in. "We'll go look at your records and get some ice cream too, alright?"

Luffy blinked, lifting his head up in surprise as Zoro embraced him. Then he smiled, leaning against the swordsman's chest and just listening to his heartbeat. "Okay, sounds like fun." He said.

"Alright..." Zoro shifted his arms, once again lifting Luffy up into them and carrying him towards the motorcycle. He supposed they'd have to go to the Town Hall or whatever. Placing Luffy down before the bike, Zoro swung a leg over, sitting behind the handlebars.

"So we're gonna go back to the boarding house after this?" Luffy asked, putting his arms around Zoro's waist for the third time that day. He was already beginning to lighten up again; clearly he wasn't one to stay in a depressed mood for long.

"Yeah, after we go check your records," he said with a nod, turning the keys in the ignition.

Luffy made a face at this, but he laughed. "Alright, let's go see what it is I'm forgetting then!" He said over the engine as it roared to life.

As he turned down the road and back towards the heart of the city, Zoro remembered his curiosity from the first day he had found Luffy. He had wanted to know so badly where Luffy came from and who he belonged to, and while a bit of that same curiosity from before was hitting him now, more than ever he just wanted to pretend he didn't have anywhere to take Luffy back to.

However, within minutes they had reached the Town Hall. Zoro parked his motorcycle and swung off it, staring towards the building, his mouth set in a firm line.

"Alright," he said finally. "Let's go."

Luffy stared up at the huge stone building for a moment as he hopped off of the seat. The stone was old and crumbling, it had clearly been here a long time, but it was still a nice building. Two stone angels stood out front, one on either side of the short set of stairs leading into the building. The building towered above him, looking almost intimidating with the shadows the afternoon light cast.

Well, he wasn't going to let some stupid building beat him.

"Okay." Luffy said, beginning to climb up the stone steps and into the building, passing the solemn stone angels without a second glance.

Zoro followed after him quickly. They entered the cool building, finding a lady sitting at a reception desk. Zoro went up to her, frowning a bit.

"Hi... we're here to look up the kid's records." He gestured a thumb towards Luffy. "He doesn't... know his address or phone number or anything, and we need to get him home."

She raised an eyebrow, eyes resting on Luffy.

"What's his name?" She finally asked, popping her bubblegum. Zoro made a face.

"Monkey D. Luffy."

"And does Luffy have any identification?"

Zoro stared for a moment, before he shook his head. "No... He doesn't."

"I see." She leaned back in her chair, turning to type at the computer for a moment. Zoro wondered if that was dismissive or not.

"Uhm... is that alright?" he finally asked, and her eyes shot back up towards him.

"If you'll just wait a moment, I'm currently looking through the system for him." She smiled a little, popping her gum again. "You know, I'm not supposed to do this. But I like you, so I'll make an exception."

Luffy blinked at the lady, scratching his head as she popped her bubblegum, manicured nails clicking as she typed. Heh, what an interesting lady…she got kind of boring to watch after awhile though, so he began to glance around the room, eventually focusing on the speckled tiles on the floor. Ha, those specks kind of looked like a duck!

Zoro made a face, arms crossing over his chest. "Ah, thanks..."

She was back at the computer again, still typing away, when suddenly she stopped, staring blankly at the screen. "Are you sure he's Monkey D. Luffy?"

"...Yes, why?" Zoro asked, glancing to Luffy.

"Because it says here that Monkey D. Luffy is dead. That he died six years ago."

**

* * *

To be continued… **

_Ahhh! I know, I know, such a terrible place to leave off at! I'm sorry again! But you have to admit, it was a wonderful place to leave off at! _

And now for my thank you for the 100 reviews! This list should logically include every single one of you since chapter one, but that would take far too long. I have a few of you to pick out specially, as well as the rest of you who reviewed the last chapter.

If I don't pick you out and give you a special shout-out don't feel bad, it's nothing against you, I'm just too lazy to pick out everyone.

_Okay, let's get started, ne? _

**KairiQueen:**_ You have been reading this fic since chapter one, and were my very first reviewer. You even beta-ed a few chapters for me. You're a wonderful person, thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to read this fic! Your reviews always bring a smile to my face, thank you so much for your encouragement! It makes me sad that you didn't review the last chapter, but you're grounded so I understand. Good luck with getting ungrounded, and please write more OP fics soon, as I love your OP fics! _

**KuroKame: **_You're one of my most favorite One Piece fanfiction authors ever. Therefore, when I received a review from you my initial reaction was shock, followed by a few yelps of joy. You rock so hard. I always look forward to your reviews, they make my day! _

X3 Yeah, the last chapter made me crave sushi as well. I just got some the other day though, so I'm good.

**poxmaker: **_You've reviewed for nearly every one of my chapters. You rock so hard. I'm pretty amazed that you've even come to figure out my update a pattern, that's pretty spiffy. Glad that I've given you something to look forward to weekly. _

**night-chan: **_You haven't reviewed in awhile since you've been busy, but you rock so hard! Your reviews always make me smile, I'm always glad to see one from you in my e-mail inbox. Do review when you get the chance, we love it when you do! We heart you, night-chan! _

**Mai Hayami: **_You rock! Your reviews are always spiffy, and were it not for your criticism a few of my mistakes would have gone unnoticed forever! Thank you so much for taking the time to review, you rock my sock! I say this because I lost my other sock…and yes, I'm aware that you're not a dude, but I call everyone dude. X3 _

**Katiiey: **_Yet another person whom has reviewed for every chapter! I heart you and your name! _

**Greiver5: **_Yet another person whom gives many reviews. Have I mentioned you rock? Well, you do. You win a candy heart. _

**Darkday Chaos: **_You've only been reviewing for two chapters, but I heart how you write your reviews. It's so awesome! Sorry you missed the 100th review thing by a bit. X3 Ah well, thank you for the review anyway! I heart you your grammar freak-ness! You rock! _

**Love is for Fools: **_Well, you were almost right. X3 Don't you feel special? _

**Merayna: **_Yes, things are definitely about to get deeper and scarier. If anything says that, it's the last line of this chapter ne? Woot, we get pocky! Our fic has divine status? Sweet! That makes me happy. _

**Angel of the Mirror: **_Nope, you were wrong! Nice try though. _

**Xeora: **_Woot! I get my face licked like a puppy! Yay-ness! _

**kage: **_Too bad I don't wanna go to your Christmas party, sucka! _

….you're still inviting me though, right? (teary eyes)

**GrayStripe:**_ Don't worry about it, I understand. _

**Next chapter:** _Luffy's dead? OMG WTFBBQ? _

Oh come on, look at that cliffie. Do you really want me to leave things like that? No? Then **REVIEW!**


	12. One Big Mystery

**-Tangled Web-**  
**A role-play/joint-fic by Digitaldreamer and Constable Remington  
Chapter Twelve: One Big Mystery **

_Gah. I'm sorry I took so long to get this chapter out, you guys. I had it all set up and everything, but I'm running out of RP to post. I prefer to stay at least two chapters behind what Constable and I actually have written, so I wanted to wait until we had more written. The problem is we stopped RPing for a week for…some reason. You don't need to know why, just know that we did and I decided I wouldn't post this chapter until we started again. _

Well, we started again. There you go. Sorry for the wait, everyone! Enjoy the fic!

**

* * *

** Luffy's eyes widened and he immediately looked up from the floor to stare at the woman, her words seeming to echo in his head. _Monkey D. Luffy is dead... _But how could that be? He was right here, alive and well. He definitely wasn't a ghost! Maybe he wasn't…no, he was Monkey D. Luffy, he was sure of it! It was just one of those facts that he had known when he had woken up, as plain and obvious a fact as the sky was blue and grass was green and meat tasted good. He knew for a fact that his name was Monkey D. Luffy, and he knew very well that he was _not_ dead. But how was this possible then? 

"B-but…I'm Monkey D. Luffy…and I'm here." He stuttered, hand pressing against his heart as if to reassure himself that it was still beating and he was very much alive.

Zoro seemed to be similarly shocked. "What? But..." He glanced towards Luffy. What if the kid was wrong? "Can you do a blood test or something?" he asked finally, and her fingers clicked across the keyboard.

"The photograph for his identification card from when he was ten years old certainly looks like him," she remarked. "Even that scar under his eye. We'll have to take a blood test. If this turns out to be some mistake within the system, we'll need to get him registered for school, I expect..." she trailed off. "I could get this all taken care of here and now if you'd like, but I'm really not supposed to..." She fluttered her eyelashes towards Zoro. "...It'd be quite hard, you know… And tiring... I'd love to... but I'd need someone to take me home afterwards... I'd be very tired and helpless by myself..."

Zoro couldn't believe what he was hearing. This woman worked for the city government!

Luffy bit his lip. So if they did this test….it might turn out he was someone else entirely. No…that wouldn't change anything. He was still him on the inside, regardless of if his name was Monkey D. Luffy or not….but he was so sure of himself…

The boy glanced up at Zoro. "Should I?" He asked, cocking his head to the side.

Deciding to ignore the lady for now, Zoro nodded.

"Yeah, I don't think we really have much of a choice. It won't hurt."

She frowned up at them, sighing. "There's really no way to tell from a blood test unless we have a sample of a relative's, as well," she noted.

"Well, that won't work." Zoro sighed. "That's the whole reason we're her; to find his damn family."

"Well, it says here that there are no surviving relatives."

Luffy's eyes widened. "No surviving relatives? So that means my family is dead along with me?"

The secretary nodded. "Yup; Mom, dad, and brother, foster father… they're all dead." She sighed, leaning back and blowing a bubble. "Sorry kiddo, but there's nothing I can do to help you. It's not like they put DNA files on this t-" Suddenly she broke off, once again staring blankly at the screen. "Well, what do you know…" She murmured, moving the mouse and clicking.

Zoro tilted his head. "What? What is it?" he asked, unsure he wanted to rouse her attention, but wanting to know, anyway.

The lady clicked her tongue, eyebrows rising as she glanced over whatever was on the screen. "Well, apparently he _does_ have a DNA file. How weird… I've only seen this with a few cases...and those were..." She trailed off, falling silent.

"So we can do the test now?" Luffy asked, sounding hopeful.

The lady looked at the two boys for a moment before leaning across the desk, her already low neck-line of her shirt dipping lower. "Well, I'm not really supposed to do this….but maybe I'll make an exception…" She murmured lazily, gazing into Zoro's eyes. "But you know…as I said, it's _very _tiring and difficult…I may need someone to…walk me home afterwards." She smiled again, quirking an eyebrow at the swordsman.

Zoro stared back at her, and then gave Luffy an edging glance. If this was the only way to do this, then he was going to be really, really unhappy.

"Are you serious?" he finally asked, his eyes deadpan.

The secretary smirked, leaning on her elbows "Well, it's not really all that difficult….but if you want to know if that kid is really Monkey D. Luffy… well, you'll have to offer me the right price for me to do something out of my job description." She trailed off, batting her eyelashes.

Zoro took in a deep breath. It wasn't that the woman was ugly or anything, because she certainly wasn't. It's just that... he wasn't really interested, and he didn't even know her. He couldn't just leave Luffy record less -- the kid had to go to school, get a job eventually, all that, and besides, if it turned out he wasn't Luffy, they'd have to find his real family.

"...then maybe I could take you out somewhere," he finally answered, sounding completely unhappy with this.

Luffy's eyes widened a bit as he glanced from Zoro to the secretary and back to Zoro again. Was Zoro serious? Was he really going to go out with this lady? When you were going out with someone, wasn't that the same as being 'together'? Didn't that mean 'love'? He didn't know why, but Luffy felt a slight pain in his heart as he glanced between the two older people.

The secretary smiled widely, showing off perfect, sparkling teeth. "I would love to. Now come on, follow me." She said, standing up and motioning for the two to come behind the desk and follow her through a door behind it.

Luffy looked up at Zoro for a moment before swerving around the desk and following the woman.

Zoro shook his head but followed, his fists clenching. Why did women have to be so goddamned cunning!

The secretary triumphantly led the two into the back, where there was a small room with an examination bed on it. "We use this room for taking blood," she explained, going to the table nearby and extracting a new, sanitary needle. She turned towards Luffy with a cotton ball soaked in disinfectant. Raising an eyebrow at his overly large clothes, she pulled out his arm, wetting the skin at the inside of his elbow with the cotton ball. "This might sting," she said in a sing-song voice, and Zoro grabbed Luffy's hand.

"You can squeeze if you want," he offered, and she pushed the needle in.

Luffy yelped at the sudden pain, his eyes squeezing shut as his hand clamped around Zoro's. He only remained this way for a moment though before calming down and opening his eyes to stick his tongue out at the needle. "Stupid needle... I hate needles, they're so pointy. Icky." He muttered. However, even as he calmed down his hand remained tightly in Zoro's.

Zoro's own fingers tightened around Luffy's as well, even as the needle pulled from Luffy's skin, the chamber of the injecting object filled with Luffy's crimson blood. The secretary was quick to wipe the area again with the disinfectant before slapping a pink Barbie band-aid over the wound.

The boy let out another yelp, pouting down at the pink band-aid. "Ow…" He whimpered.

Zoro laughed a little, nervously. "Does it hurt?" His voice was a little teasing.

Luffy laughed as well, smiling up at Zoro. "Yeah, but it's no big deal! I'm tough!" He declared, flexing his tiny arms.

"Yeah, I know," he said with a smile, ruffling the boy's hair.

The lady was currently at a computer, typing so fast one could barely see her fingers moving. There were various beeps coming from the machine next to it, where the chamber with the blood in it had been placed. Luffy watched her type curiously for a few moments before becoming bored and focusing on the ceiling fan. Round and round and round….

Briefly wondering what Luffy's excitement with the ceiling fan was, Zoro sighed. This whole place seemed a little weird, from the secretary blatantly hitting on him to the fact that they could just take Luffy's blood, just like that. He had almost expected there to be some huge hassle, and to have to drive to a hospital or something, but instead, here they were... how strange. Still, he decided not to question it. It was certainly easier for him this way, fewer places to drive and wait. "Well?" he finally asked.

The women finally glanced back at the two of them, shaking her head. "I don't believe it. He's the real deal, a perfect match…." She trailed off, staring at Luffy.

Luffy just grinned. "Told you so!"

The secretary shook her head. "This is insane…according to your files, you are dead. You died in a house fire six years ago, along with your brother Ace and your foster father Kuro. Your graves are dug and everything…"

The boy shrugged nonchantly. "Guess they messed up somewhere, because I'm pretty sure I'm not dead."

The secretary frowned at Luffy for a moment, then rubbed her eyes and looked at him again. She pinched herself. "Nope, I'm awake, and from what I can tell you're not a ghost or anything….maybe you escaped the fire somehow…" She frowned, twirling a lock of hair around her finger.

Zoro peered at Luffy. From this to his weird case of amnesia, Luffy seemed to be one big mystery. Zoro shook his head, unsure what to think. "Well... since he's a match, we just need to enroll him in school, right?"

The woman sighed, nodding. "I suppose you're right. There's nothing else on him, and you won't find anything else out here. Your best bet is to just try and lead a normal life and remember what you can remember." She said, nodding at Luffy.

Luffy nodded, grinning. "No problem! It's no big deal, I'll remember things eventually."

She nodded. "You do that, even I'm curious as to where the hell you disappeared to for the last six years." She murmured as she tapped her manicured nails together. Then she turned back to the computer. "Alright, I'll enroll him at Yume High, since it's closest. It would normally take months, but I can pull some strings so he can take the placement test sometime tomorrow and start on Monday…" She drawled, beginning to type.

Zoro groaned inwardly, wondering what "pulling some strings" would cost him. "Yeah, thanks," he said shortly, looking to Luffy. "I guess this means we'll be going to school together."

Luffy's eyes widened as his face spread into a grin. "Really?" He immediately flung his arms around Zoro's waist. "Yaaaaaaay! I'm gonna go to school with Zoro! Yay!" Then he looked up at Zoro. "Where am I supposed to live now? My family…" He trailed off.

"You'll keep staying with me, of course," Zoro said smoothly. "Unless you don't want to..." He was sure Vivi would have no problem, especially if Luffy stayed in his room. Everyone had taken to Luffy so much that it was certain to be a good thing... if strange.

Zoro wondered about Luffy's family, though. Were they really dead... or were they just as "dead" as Luffy?

"I can stay? You'll let me stay with you? YES!" Luffy cried, burying his face into Zoro's chest as he hugged him tightly.

Blushing a bit, the man awkwardly returned Luffy's hug. "Of course you can stay, kid..."

Luffy was grinning as widely as ever, small tears coming to the corners of his eyes. "I'm so happy that I don't have to leave." He murmured into the fabric of Zoro's shirt.

"Ahem," The secretary coughed, causing Luffy to pull back a bit to look at her. "Sorry to ruin the fuzzy moment, but you're enrolled now, Luffy. You'll have to swing by the school tomorrow to take the placement test and get your uniform, alright?"

Luffy nodded happily.

"Thanks for all your..." Zoro paused. "...help." That seemed simple enough, so why was this woman insisting on Zoro repaying her in such an insane way?

...But still... Luffy looked so happy.

The lady smiled standing and stretching her arms over her head. "You're very welcome, cutie. But remember, you still have to repay me…" She said as she walked over to Zoro, heels clicking on the floor.

He grimaced as she approached, nodding stiffly. "Yeah, I remember," he muttered. What a strange person.

She smiled, leaning towards Zoro a bit. "Then start making good on your promise." She drawled.

Zoro's eyes widened and he stared at her. _Right now...? Right here...? Right in front of Luffy…?_

Shooting the boy a wary and embarrassed look, Zoro's hands shook a bit. He slowly lifted them to the woman's thin shoulders, drawing her in and hesitatingly placing his lips over hers.

The secretary sighed into the kiss as she wrapped her arms loosely around the swordsman, her fingers trailing up and down his firm back.

Luffy bit his lip as he watched. He swore it felt like his heart was being torn, but he couldn't seem to make himself look away.

After several long moments the secretary finally pulled away, smiling widely, her eyes twinkling. "My….you're good. Better than expected." She murmured, glancing up at him for a moment before licking her lips and gently pushing Zoro's hands from her shoulders as she turned away.

Shaking a bit, Zoro lifted the back of his hand to wipe his lips, staring after her. He glanced back to Luffy. He really didn't expect to have to do that in front of the boy, but at least it hadn't gone any farther than that. "...Sorry you had to see that," he said gently.

Luffy gave a small smile. "Don't worry about it, I think I understand." He then frowned, cocking his head to the side like a puppy. "It was a kiss….which means love…which isn't a fruit." His face fell a bit more.

The secretary chuckled. "You really don't know much, do you kid? That was a kiss, but there was no love, for me at least, there." She said as she turned back to look at Luffy and Zoro. "That was the kiss of a man who is in love, yes. But he does not love me. No, he's got it good for someone else, I think." She twirled a lock of hair around her fingers, eyes still twinkling. "Correct?"

Zoro stared at her for a moment, his eyes glancing towards Luffy, and then quickly back to her. "...I... I wouldn't say that," he finally stammered. Could she really tell from just a kiss? "...maybe."

The woman just laughed. "You don't fully realize it yet, but it's there. And I'm very sure that whoever is the lucky receiver of your love will be happy to return it." She smiled for a moment, looking at Zoro and Luffy. Then she shook her head, beginning to walk towards the door. "Well, come on then. I'm sure you're eager to get started on your new life, hmm?"

Luffy stared after her, blinking in confusion for a moment before following. "Yeah!"

Zoro began out, too, catching up to her. "Wait... so I don't have to take you out?"

The secretary laughed, shaking her head. "Of course not! I don't steal taken men, what kind of woman do you take me for?"

He made a bit of a face. Obviously, if she was the kind to proposition strangers, this wouldn't be anything drastic. Maybe Zoro just didn't know anything. "Alright," he said, and let it lie. That was fine with him. "C'mon, Luffy, let's get home."

Luffy beamed. _Home…it's not just Zoro's home anymore, it's mine too! _"Yosh!" He chirped, practically skipping as he made his way out the door.

The secretary laughed again. "You two take care of yourselves!" She said, waving as she sat down behind her desk again.

Zoro lifted his own hand in a wave without looking back, continuing out the big class doors and into the cool and dark parking lot. The sun was setting, and Zoro smiled faintly to it. "Well," he began, catching up with Luffy. "How about that ice cream?"

Luffy grinned as he hopped down the large stone steps. "Sure!"

* * *

The entire room was pitch black, the only light coming from the light blue glow of the thousands of computer screens that lined the wall. The only sounds were the constant clacking of the keys on thousands of keyboards and the hum of the machines lined along the walls. There was the occasional hum and beep, but nothing more. 

Such a large room hidden deep below the great, shimmering tower that was the base of Saga corp., no one knew of this great room below the establishment, save for the thousands that worked in and out of the sprawling base below the great tower, the hidden headquarters of the criminal organization, Baroque Works.

He stood at the top of the stairs, looking down at this intricate masterpiece, yet another tool to aid him in his plan. There they were, thousands of pawns used to keep it running. This gigantic room had been here for the past six years, all for one purpose;

To search.

He had worked for eleven years to finally set his plan in motion; he would not allow it to upset by the will of the host of his weapon. He had almost had him that one time, but the boy had slipped away at the last second. But all was not lost, the murders were proof that everything would still work. All he needed was to find the boy before the time expired and place Akuma back in control…

It would work. He had constructed this plan perfectly, there were no flaws. There was nothing to stand in his way.

He just had to find the damn boy.

Suddenly there was a loud beeping that rang throughout the chamber, echoing throughout the dark room.

"Mr.0! Mr.0 sir!"

He looked down for the source of the voice, emotionless eyes boring into the bright eyes of one single Million. "Yes, what is it?"

"We found him sir! Someone pulled up the DNA file you placed in his records and matched it was a current file!"

His eyes narrowed and he charged down the stairs, running over to the Millions. "Where?" He asked once he had reached the spot, the blue glow of the screen throwing the scar across his face, the slicked back black hair, and sandpaper-like skin into harsh detail.

"We've traced the file to Akiyoshi, Japan." A map came on screen, a bright star flashing over a city.

"Akiyoshi, hmmm? Interesting….this may be easier than I thought." He murmured. Then he laughed, a dry, desert-like laugh, devoid of any emotion save for wicked triumph. "I'm getting closer, Monkey D. Luffy…"

* * *

**To be continued… **

_Um….yay? _

I'm tired. Leave me alone.

I'm not going to answer all of the reviews because there's a lot there, but I will answer a few.

_  
_**Hasuko: **_o.o Wow, you were moved to TEARS? Wow…just…wow. I'm glad we could make something so emotionally involving? Wow…thank you.. _

**YuugiLover3: **_OO Wow, you actually want to make Luffy's hoodie and make one for me too? That would be great! Do be sure to send us pictures, and make one for me and Constable too if you want to! I so want a hoodie like that. _

**poxmaker: **_Well, you could be right, and maybe you're not right. We'll see, ne? _

This is my request for a **REVIEW**_that never ends! Yes it goes on and on my friends! _

…please review?

I need sleep.


	13. Adopting a Stray

**-Tangled Web-**  
**A role-play/joint-fic by Digitaldreamer and Constable Remington  
Chapter Thirteen: Adopting a Stray **

_Well, it's time for another Tangled Web chapter. Um…yes. It seems only two chapters after we hit the one hundred review mark, we've passed one hundred and fifty. Wow. Just wow. _

_Have I mentioned I love you people? I do. I so do. You all rock my sock, and I say sock as I seem to have misplaced one of my socks. Um..yes._

_Enjoy the chapter!_

_**

* * *

**_ Darkness had pushed the glorious sunset aside over the sky of the tiny town, and Roronoa Zoro was more or less enjoying it, sitting out on a bench on the sidewalk of the little ice cream parlor with a soda in his hand. He was slumped back against the wood of the bench, mulling over the events of the day in his mind. Something seemed so out-of-place, but he decided that the day had gone so pleasantly that it really wasn't anything to dwell on. Glancing sideways towards his little roommate, he grinned a bit. So, Luffy was gonna stay with him, huh? He couldn't wait to get home and tell everyone. They'd flip! 

Still... Zoro wondered in the back of his mind if Luffy was sad about his apparently deceased family. He wondered if the boy would want to visit their graves. If Luffy's memories did come back, would he freak out? Luffy didn't seem sad, at least, not then, but you never could tell with such a cheerful and happy exterior. About to open his mouth to try and find the words to say something about it, Zoro silenced himself, unsure what could be said.

Tipping back his head, the metal of the soda can met his lips and he tried again to wash the flavor of that weird woman's bubble gum from his mouth.

Luffy was perched on top of the wooden back of the bench next to Zoro, grinning as he licked his ice cream cone. His face was covered in melted chocolate ice dream and sprinkles, but either the boy didn't notice or didn't care.

There was a crunch as he tossed the last of the sugar cone into his mouth and swallowed it. "Mmm! That was yummy!" He said, and then licked his lips in an attempt to get at all the ice cream on his face. Apparently his tongue didn't want to reach far enough to get the junk on his tongue and nose.

Zoro sighed. Luckily, he had been prepared for this. Grabbing one of the napkins he had shoved into his pocket, he reached over, roughly wiping the sticky substance from Luffy's face. "Glad you liked it," he remarked, finishing his soda and tossing the can and the napkin into the nearby trashcan. He leaned into the boy a bit, resting his shoulder against Luffy's, wanting just to stay and talk for a bit. "Luffy," he said suddenly, "Are you happy staying with me?"

Luffy, whose face had been scrunched up from Zoro wiping the ice cream off of his face, immediately nodded enthusiastically and grinned, "Of course! I couldn't be happier!" He said, putting his arms around Zoro's waist and giving him a loose hug.

The man smiled a bit at this, his own arms going around Luffy to return the hug. "Good... 'cause I already promised, so you're stuck with me forever."

Luffy laughed a bit at this, leaning his head against Zoro's chest. "Yay! I'm stuck with Zoro forever!"

Pulling slightly away, Zoro glanced towards his wrist. "We should probably go unless we wanna miss dinner." He grinned. "C'mon." Standing from the bench, Zoro took a few steps towards the side of the street where his motorcycle was parked, keeping a slow pace so Luffy could catch up.

"Meat!" Luffy cried, pumping his fists into the air as he hopped off of the bench. He ran a bit to catch up with Zoro. Just when he reached the swordsman he tripped on the ragged ends of Zoro's jeans, letting out a yell of surprise as he ended up falling towards Zoro.

Zoro turned at Luffy's yell just in time to catch him from falling. He frowned a bit. "Careful, careful..." He sighed. "I guess it's good we bought you all those clothes..."

Luffy laughed sheepishly. "Yeah!" He said as he supported himself on his own feet again, pulling away from Zoro. He stood there for a moment, scratching his head as he glanced down at the ground. "Zoro?"

Thinking that Luffy maybe had something important to ask, Zoro turned Luffy towards him. "...Yes?"

Luffy sighed, eyes still focused on the ground as he tugged absently on the end of the blue t-shirt. "If…well, if it's not out of the way…do you think we could visit the graveyard?" He mumbled without looking up. "I mean…maybe my families…and mine, will be there, you know?"

Zoro bit back his lip a bit, but nodded. "Yeah, sure…" It was a little out of the way, but it was alright... Zoro wouldn't tell him that. Going to bike, he sat down, gripping the handlebars. "Let's go."

Luffy looked up and smiled softly at Zoro, following him over to the motorcycle and slipping onto the seat behind him. He seemed to have nothing to say for once, wordlessly putting his arms around the older man's waist and squeezing slightly.

Starting the engine, the motorcycle revved to life. The two took off down the streets, until they reached a field behind the high school. It was lined with graves, the lush green grass bordering the marble markers left behind to remember the deceased. Zoro quietly parked his motorcycle outside the field, climbing from it. He had been here so recently, it seemed.

But he didn't want to think of Tashigi. Not now.

"C'mon, I'll help you look."

"M'kay." Luffy said as he slid off of the motorcycle. He walked into the field wordlessly, padding past grave after grave in uncharacteristic silence. The sun was now slowly going into hiding behind the horizon line, casting radiant rays of pink and red over the solemn, silent field.

"'I told you I was sick'." Luffy read aloud. "Bachina Asoppu. 1956-1996." He chuckled, shaking his head and continuing to walk through the rows and rows of marble slabs and statues.

Zoro stopped at it, blinking, but shook his head, deciding not to say anything and simply follow him. He stopped suddenly, though in front of one of the graves, staring down at it in quiet uncertainty. His stomach felt like it was churning inside, and he quickly looked away, forcing the tears to stay in his eyes. He wouldn't cry, damn it.

Continuing down the line, his blurry eyes browed each name on the tombstones…

Luffy eventually stopped at the very edge of the field, where the grass met the forest. The trees, barren now since it was November, overshadowed them a bit, but there they were. Two graves, simple stone stabs with a few elegant engravings in them for decoration, along with two names.

"Portgas D. Ace," He read aloud. "'Beloved big brother and friend 1984-1999. Monkey D. Luffy, 1987-1999, 'Always there to put a smile on our faces'..."

Zoro simply stood behind him, unsure what to say. The gravestones seemed so ominous, but Luffy was standing right here with him. Zoro frowned. How could they have done this? He wondered if he could find an obituary...

Luffy bit his lip as he stared down at them. He knew for a fact that he wasn't dead…but what of his brother? What happened to him….what had he been like? Had he survived too? Where had Ace been for the past six years, in that case? Come to think of it…where had _Luffy _been for the past six years?

His head was beginning to hurt as he stared down at the simple slabs of stone; they looked so lonely here at the edge of the graveyard. But it wasn't as if they had anyone to visit them…he could hear his heart thumping in his ears, felt his breath quicken a bit.

_A five year old Luffy stepped through the doorway of a large house, on tiptoes so he could reach the doorknob and open the door. He blinked, his eyes adjusting to the unusually dim living room. "A-Ace?" He called, feeling tiny as his voice rang through the house. "Ace? Why are there police cars outside? W-where are mommy and daddy!"_

_The little boy was sitting curled up between the couch and the wall, knees pulled to his chest, head buried in his knees, arms wrapped around his legs, shivering. Only when he heard his brother's voice did he look up, his face red and puffy with tears. "Luffy?" he asked, barely a whisper. "Luffy, they took them away... they weren't moving and they took... them away..."_

_Luffy dropped his small, multicolored backpack at the door and ran over to his older brother. He crawled into the space between the couch and the wall with him, putting his arms around Ace. He didn't know what was going on, but it looked bad! He wasn't used to seeing his older brother cry. _

"They took who away? Who wasn't moving…? Ace, why are you crying?" Luffy cried, his voice rising to a higher pitch as he pulled on the older boy's shirt, his eyes wide.

The older boy instead moved to pull his own arms around Luffy, forcing himself to be strong. He was the older brother, and he had to protect Luffy, right? "Luffy, it's... its okay. But mommy and daddy aren't gonna come back... they went far away. Now it's just me and you, okay? It's okay..." But even Ace couldn't forget what he had seen. He knew what blood was, he had gotten his knees scraped up tons of times playing outside...

_...but there had been so much of it..._

_He couldn't tell Luffy. Luffy was too little. Ace had to protect him... he was the big brother, and mommy had always said that the big brother was supposed to take care of the little brother. _

Luffy shivered in Ace's grasp; even as he tried to sound reassuring the boy could tell something wasn't right here. He bit his lip, hugging Ace back, feeling tears begin to well up in his own eyes. He didn't understand what was going on, but he knew Ace wasn't joking. Mommy and daddy aren't gonna come back… 

Luffy's eyes suddenly widened, pupils dilating, and he fell to his knees with a cry, clutching at his head.

Zoro was on his knees at Luffy's side quickly, grabbing the boy's shoulders. "Luffy!" he cried worriedly, beginning to panic. What was going on!

Luffy was shaking, clawing a bit at his head, eyes squeezed shut as a whimper escaped his lips.

He felt as if he had been like this before, but it had been in another time and place, with a different person at his side…

Once again the blurry image from his dream came to mind, but the face seemed to be getting a bit clearer. Freckles on tanned skin, dark eyes filled with rage as he shielded Luffy from another figure that bore down upon the both of them.

And then everything went black again, the gray, murky veil that had been hiding his memories slipping back into place again.

Luffy's eyes went back to normal, his hands falling back to his sides. He just there for a moment and breathed, eyes still wide.

Zoro worriedly brushed his hand against Luffy's cheek. "Luffy... are you alright?" He didn't like what had just happened, not at all. Something felt off.

Luffy glanced over at Zoro for a moment, still breathing heavily with a scared look in his eyes. He gulped and nodded. "Y-yeah…I'm fine." He said, voice shaking slightly.

Zoro's arms wrapped tightly around him, pulling him close in to his chest, "It's alright," he said softly. He didn't know what else to say, though. Poor kid... "It's alright, Luffy. I've got you..."

Luffy let out a shaky breath, burying his face into Zoro's chest and wrapping his arms tightly around the swordsman. He stayed there for a few moments in silence before he finally spoke. "I remembered something." He explained quietly.

Zoro brushed a hand through Luffy's hair. "What... was it?" he finally asked. Luffy didn't have to answer if he wanted to... but if it helped, Zoro wanted to know.

The boy bit his lip, everything he had just recalled seemed so foggy now, but he could manage to figure out the gist of it. "When I was five, I came home from soccer practice to find police surrounding my house. So I went inside and Ace was there…and he said that mom and dad went far away and were never coming back…I think that was the day my parents died..." He trailed off, eyes narrowing.

"No…they didn't just die…I think they were….there was blood on the carpet…I think they were murdered, and Ace didn't want to tell me." He gave a small smile. "Heh…he must have been a good older brother, if he wanted to protect me and not tell me right away…I wonder if he ever told me…" Luffy trailed off into silence again.

Zoro didn't know what to say. He had murdered so many before, just like that, without ever a second thought... could he have made lives like Luffy's? He had no right to be comforting the boy... Luffy didn't even know about it...

His arms loosened around Luffy, forcing himself not to meet the boy's eyes. "Luffy..."

Luffy gave a small smile as Zoro loosened his hold. He took this as a sign to try and pull himself together. "Oh well….at least I remember something now, even if it isn't a very nice memory, right?"

"...I guess," he answered softly. "Maybe the good memories will come, too." He tried to smile.

Luffy laughed, beginning to go back to his usual cheerful self. "Right! If I can remember the bad stuff, something good can't be too far behind! Besides, that stuff is in the past now. I can make new, good memories with you now, ne?" He grinned at Zoro.

"Yeah... sure," Zoro forced himself to grin back, fluffing Luffy's hair. Something inside him yelled that he didn't deserve Luffy, and Zoro knew that... but Luffy needed him. And besides that... he had promised. "Of course, Luffy."

"Great," Luffy smiled warmly at Zoro, but a small shadow still lingered in his eyes, the memory of what had occurred minutes earlier no where near forgotten. The boy stood, brushing blades of grass from his jeans. "Can we go home now, Zoro?" He asked, holding out his hand to the swordsman.

"Sure. Hopefully, we'll have dinner waiting for us, right?" Zoro took Luffy's hand, standing quickly from the grass and beginning to pull the boy out.

Luffy's entire face brightened at the mention of food. "Yosh! Meat!" He cheered. He eagerly followed Zoro out of the grave yard, leaving the lonely tombs behind in the very last rays of sunset.

* * *

Once the two reached home, Zoro instantly slipped into the kitchen. Sanji was there, cleaning up from dinner, and Vivi was helping, stacking away dishes as the tall blonde washed them. There were still two plates of food at the table, and when Zoro stepped in, Sanji looked up, waving. 

"Hey there, where have you two been? Lover's Lane can't be nearly as interesting on a motorcycle."

Zoro ignored him, sitting and beginning to eat. "We went to the park, then to get some ice cream and check Luffy's records." He paused, deciding not to mention the graveyard.

"You checked them?" Vivi asked, looking towards the swordsman, her eyes anxious.

"Yup, we checked them!" Luffy nodded as he hopped into the seat beside Zoro, once again taking the 'inhale everything' approach to eating.

Nami, whom was once again watching one of her reality TV shows, immediately perked up. "So what's the story? Are you taking him home tomorrow or what?"

Zoro swallowed his food, raising his voice a bit so Nami could hear him from the other room and over the TV. "No. He's staying here."

"What?" Vivi blinked some. "But what about his family?"

"He doesn't have any. They're all dead."

"But then wouldn't he have to go to an orphanage?" Sanji asked, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the cabinet.

"Apparently not," Zoro murmured. "Then again, I, ah, ensured some special arrangements." He felt no need to elaborate.

Luffy nodded again, still shoveling food into his mouth. "So that means I'm staying here! Whoo!" He cheered after he swallowed, punching his fists in the air.

Nami's eyes widened and she charged out of the living room into the kitchen. She skidded to a stop on the linoleum, skirt swishing with her movements. "Wait a minute, wait a MINUTE! He's staying here?" She cried.

Once again the boy nodded.

Nami grinned. "Cause you wanna stay with Zoro, right?"

Another nod,

"Yes! I knew it!" Nami cheered, punching her fists in the air. "You want to stay because you _love him!_ That is so sweet!"

"Nami-san is so wonderful when she's jumping to conclusions!" Sanji cried, practically falling at woman's feet. Zoro only snorted, finishing his food and tossing his fork carelessly on his plate with a clatter.

"He's staying because he's got no where else to go," Zoro stated bluntly. "And he likes all of us."

"Sure, sure, you just keep telling yourself that Zoro." Nami said, waving her hand dismissively.

"_Who's_ staying?" Usopp asked, peeking into the kitchen.

Luffy waved from the table, mouth still full.

"Oh!" Usopp grinned, coming fully into the room. "So I guess that means Zoro can't hog you all to himself anymore and we'll be seeing you more often!"

Luffy nodded as he took a big gulp of water.

The long-nosed teen laughed, snapping an ink-covered hand in the air. "Great! Now at long last I can tell you the wonderful Adventures of the Great Captain Usopp-sama!" He said, posing dramatically. Luffy gasped in amazement and clapped.

"Wonderful," Zoro groaned, sounding far less-than-thrilled. Really, he'd rather just eat his damn dinner in peace. "I wasn't hogging him," he suddenly added, but his words pretty much seemed to go unnoticed.

"We don't have any extra rooms," Vivi said, sitting beside Luffy. "You don't mind staying with Roronoa-san, do you?"

Luffy shook his head as he pushed his empty plate aside, smiling widely. "Nope, not at all; Zoro already said that's where I'd stay."

"He _doesn't mind because Zoro gives him kinky hot man sex._" Nami whispered loudly into Usopp's ear. Usopp doubled over laughing, and Nami burst into fits of giggles.

Zoro pretended he didn't hear that, because it was just so much easier that way. He stood, taking both his and Luffy's plate to the sink.

"You came home late, so do your own dishes, marimo," Sanji said coolly. Zoro grunted in response. He kind of figured that was the case. Turning the water on, he began to wash them.

Luffy hopped up as Nami and Usopp continued to laugh. "Can I help?" He asked ask he rushed over the sink, sliding on the bottoms of Zoro's jeans so instead of stopping in front of the counter he ended up crashing into it. He propped himself up on the counter and grinned, apparently not caring that he had just slammed into it.

Zoro glanced sideways at him, knowing what Luffy's idea of "helping" in the kitchen was. "No, its fine," he said quickly, scrubbing the first of the plates clean. "I've got it."

Luffy pouted. "Awww….but I'm gonna be living here now, I've gotta help with _something_!" He whined, tracing an odd pattern on the countertop with his fingers.

Watching him warily for a moment, Zoro finally handed him the wet plate and the nearby dishtowel. "Alright, just dry the plates."

Luffy stood up straight and cheered as he took the plate, beginning to rub it with the dish towel. "Yaaaay, I get to help!"

"_I bet I can think of something else he can help Zoro with…_" Nami said in a singsong voice. Usopp cracked up again.

Zoro handed the other plate calmly to Luffy, turning to glare at Nami. "Very funny," he remarked shortly, crossing his arms around his chest.

"I thought so," Sanji grinned, snickering. Still, he was already sliding his jacket on, digging around his pocket for a lighter. "I need a smoke," he explained, ducking from the room to get outside. Zoro watched him leave with annoyed eyes.

Luffy turned around to look at Nami and Usopp, blinking in confusion as he dried the second plate. "What can I help Zoro with?" He asked, cocking his head to the side.

Nami opened her mouth to speak, when music was heard from the TV in the living room. "Ack, my show!" She cried running back into the living room.

Luffy blinked in confusion. "…Whaaa?"

"Nothing," Zoro said quickly. "She doesn't know what she's talking about." And hopefully that would be the end of it. Zoro grabbed the dried plates, setting them in to pantry.

"….Okay then!" Luffy chirped, cutting off Usopp's attempt to keep the issue going. He walked over to the refrigerator and took out a Pepsi, popped it open, and took a drink. Usopp watched this and sighed, deciding to let it go.

"So, Luffy…have I told you the story of how the ferocious demon rat attacked this house a year ago and how the Great Captain Usopp-sama defeated it?" Usopp began, grinning at Luffy.

Luffy's eyes widened. "A ferocious demon rat?" He repeated, eyes wide with childish amazement. He rushed over to the table and plopped down onto a seat, still watching Usopp and waiting for him to continue like a kid waiting for story time.

Usopp's grin widened before he forced a serious look onto his face. "Yup, that's right… A ferocious demon rat!"

"For the love of…are you telling that story again?" Nami called from the living room. "It was just a tiny little mouse, Usopp!"

"YOU LIE!" Usopp snarled, pointing at the living room before turning back to Luffy with a secretive expression. "She's just saying that because she's embarrassed that she was so terrified by it."

"_You_ were the only one that was screaming!" Nami shouted.

"SHUT UP! YOU'D SCREAM TOO IF YOU HAD SENSED HOW DEMONIC AND EVIL IT WAS!"

"Whatever!"

Zoro had absolutely no interest in hearing this story again, so he instead cautiously shuffled into the living room to see what Nami could be so interested in. He settled on the couch beside her, blinking faintly at the television.

"Is this really all that entertaining?"

Nami turned to stare at him, eyes wide. "YES! Greg just proposed his love to Gloria, but he's going out with Megan, who actually loves Todd and Todd loves Gloria, but Gloria's a _lesbian _and wants to be with Megan! It's so SAD!" She then focused on the TV screen once more.

He stared forcefully back at her before deciding that was enough quality time with Nami for the night, thanks. Standing wordlessly from the couch, he decided he'd at least go tell Robin the news about Luffy staying so she wouldn't be kept in the dark.

Chances were good that she already knew, though... Robin was so strange like that.

Climbing up the stairs, he soon found himself down the dim hallway and knocking on the older woman's bedroom door.

"Hn…? Who is it?" Robin's voice came from within, sounding distant.

"Zoro," he responded shortly, a hand going to the handle. "Mind if I come in?"

There was silence for a few moments, and then she replied. "Come in."

He frowned, twisting the knob and pushing the door open. He didn't exactly step into the room, not really wanting to enter Robin's territory. "...hey," he began, as a forced, awkward greeting. "...Ah, I just... came to tell you that we checked Luffy's records today... and he doesn't have any family... so he's staying with us."

Robin was sitting at her desk, probably correcting some poor soul's homework judging from the red pen in her hand. She glanced up at the teenager as he spoke, her eyes narrowing a fraction. _Staying with us…no…that's not good... _

"Staying with us?" She repeated, interestingly enough not bringing up the fact that Luffy's family was dead. "Meaning with you, I assume?"

"Yeah," Zoro raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, with me, technically," He certainly hoped it wasn't his homework that was getting the nasty treatment.

"How's he going to pay the rent? If there are two people staying in the room, the rates would go up yes?" Robin murmured as she propped herself up by her elbows on her desk.

Wondering why she cared so much, Zoro frowned, leaning slightly against the doorframe. "Vivi didn't say anything about it. Besides, he doesn't have a job."

"So you'll pay for him and yourself until he gets one?" Robin drawled. _He can't stay here…it's dangerous. Things are difficult enough without the object of his search living a few rooms away from me…I can't just report him, nor can I betray that man… _

"Of course," Zoro shrugged. "It's not that big of a deal..." But Robin sure seemed to be making it one, and the conversation was putting Zoro on edge.

Robin frowned, her gaze boring into Zoro's. "What of the school? They're going to want a parent or guardian to send things to, he has none. Until he turns eighteen he'll need to be under the legal care of someone." She pointed out.

"Apparently he's under the legal care of me," Zoro finished. Though he wasn't sure how that had happened, and strangely, the secretary hadn't asked. "I think."

"Ah." Robin eyebrow rose at this. _That could change this… _"And you're sure that you're capable of handling the responsibilities of this?"

Zoro wasn't aware there really were any responsibilities. "It's nothing I haven't already done over the past couple of days," he said certainly.

Robin chuckled, shaking her head. "I suppose not…how amusing, you're sure you can handle a simple stray, when in reality you may getting into something a bit more complicated. But how am I to know these things?" The last part wasn't really addressed to Zoro; it sounded more as if she were musing to herself. _It may be better this way...I can protect him much easier if I know where he is, and the swordsman seems attached to him…it could still work if I play my cards right… _

Why was everyone in the damn house acting so weird tonight! Zoro shrugged gruffly. "He's no trouble," he answered shortly. "Night," And with that, he took a few steps back, closing the door and beginning to walk down the hall and into his own bedroom.

Robin waved him goodbye, turning back to her papers. However, instead of going back to grading she pulled out her laptop and began to boot it up. "I'd better get moving…after they took the DNA sample he'll already be tracking…" She murmured, beginning to click away.

* * *

"Mr.0?" 

"Aren't you supposed to be tracking the boy?"

"That's the thing sir…the signal, before we could home in out it, it disappeared."

"What?"

"Someone might have shut it down…"

"…Damn it. We still have the city, correct? That's the one with one of our mercenaries?"

"Yes sir, Roronoa Zoro."

"…Interesting. Thing's could still work out…"

* * *

**To be continued… **

_Um..le gasp! I suppose this chapter is a bit of a turning point. Luffy is no longer just the kid that Zoro found on the street, he lives at the house now. Things will only get more complicated from here! Anyway, reviews! _

**Griever5:** _The lady was indeed weird, but she was so fun to play! _

**KuroKame:** _I got some sleep, and now I'm feeling better! Thank you for deciding that I would sleep. X3 _

**Ie Lanner:** _Ohhh, One Piece is your new fandom? I'm happy this fanfic doesn't disappoint you. And I'm not tired anymore..so..um…yay! _

**storywriter10791:** _Well, I hope this chapter was good! _

**Lamia Metisou:** _o.O What fandom is that from? _

**MeraNova:** _Yes, it's about to get even more interesting… _

**WhiteTigeress666:** _Um…Luffy's a weapon? O.o Where did you get that idea?_

**FreeAnimeSpirit: **_Thank you._

**Griffingurl: **_So many questions! And to think many of them won't be answered for so many chapters…(cackles) Just keeping reading, you'll find your answers eventually! _

**Katiiey: **_Oh yes, Crocodile is so Luffy's uncle. "Luffy…I am your uncle!" "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" _

**Hasuko: **_Wow, this fic has moved you several times? Wow…I feel really special! That must mean Constable and I are writing pretty well…nothing wrong with the fic moving you, it just means we're doing our job! Glad you like this fic. _

**YuugiLover3: **_Well, I could always IM you or e-mail you or something and give you my address so you could mail it to me…but only if you want to, of course. You don't have to make one for me if you don't want to. _

**ChiKoiDoji: **_Wow, this fic made you fond of Luffy X Zoro fics? Ha! We've converted someone! (dances for joy) As for the mysterious Luffy-finder…he's actually a villain from One Piece, but you're probably not far enough to know who he is. Well, you'll see who he is soon! _

**Dark Angel Kira: **_Spike's in denial? That makes me sad. I hope he stops being in denial soon. Glad you like the fic! _

**Ryu Meijjin: **_You seriously thought we were nearing the climax of the story? HA! Now THAT is funny. This fic is nowhere near the climax, trust me. We've got a loooong way to go._

_  
_**AlibisDragon: **_XP No one likes the secretary. Yes, Luffy'd better get more Zoro lovin! _

**KairiQueen: **_Well, Crocodile's not technically BACK, but whatever. I'm playing him. As for Luffy's bonds with the others, it doesn't take long for him to decide he's friends with someone. He just does, and that's that. The others may not be so bonded to him, but he's already decided he's attached to them, and he cares for them. That's how Luffy works. You live for the day when we update? Um..yay? _

**Icy Sapphire15: **_Yes, Luffy is special. _

**Illusion Of A Lunatic: **_Heh…we're special cause our fic is…different I guess. Glad you like the fic! _

**NEXT CHAPTER:** _Nightmares in sleeping, nightmares in waking…a midnight walk and the repercussions of one of Nami's simple actions._


	14. Nightmares

**Tangled Web  
A role-play/joint-fic by Digitaldreamer and Constable Remington  
Chapter fourteen: Nightmares **

_Well guys, here's chapter fourteen of Tangled Web. O.o I am completely amazed by how many people are reading this fic, it's insane! You people are cray-zee and I love you! _

So, in this chapter you will see things definitely start to grow a bit darker…and…well…yeah. I got nothing more to say, get reading!

* * *

Zoro flopped against his bed, sighing and staring up at the ceiling. Luffy seemed to be having so much fun downstairs that he wouldn't bother going down there to call him for any reason. He didn't want to be accused of hogging the boy again or anything. Instead, he just curled up, kicking off his shoes, still in his jeans and t-shirt, and promptly fell asleep.

A few hours later the chaos from downstairs was finally dying down. After hearing several of Usopp's tales and being astounded by each and every one of them, regardless of the interjections of truth from the other boarders, Luffy had spent some time watching a few of the episodes on Nami's Cardcaptor Sakura DVD's. The boy had been so absorbed in the anime that the orange-haired senior was able to play with his hair without objections.

Eventually someone must have brought the brightly colored ribbons in his messy black hair to Luffy's attention, as the boy had immediately torn them out. After being chastised by Nami for ruining her work he had just laughed and gone to the kitchen for a snack, then ended up chatting with Vivi for a bit. Eventually they got onto the subject of the boarders that lived there, which led to Vivi's explanation of them.

"Well, let's see..." Vivi looked thoughtful for a moment. "You've met everyone here, I know. I'm Vivi, I run the boarding house and I go to the same school you'll be going to." She smiled towards him, beginning to count on her fingers. "Nami is a senior and works at the mall in a girls' clothing store called 'Mikan'. Usopp-san is a junior and does illustrations for children's' books and has that web comic... I think he makes a bit of money off that, too." She frowned a bit in thought, continuing on. "Sanji-san is already out-of-school; he works as the assistant head chef at the really nice restaurant downtown, All Blue... maybe we'll take you there sometime! Robin-san is a history teacher at the high school... and Zoro... Zoro's a senior as well, though he was supposed to graduate a year earlier..." She frowned. "He had to repeat his freshman year. He..." Vivi paused, blinking. "Come to think of it, what _does_ Zoro do?"

Luffy, whom had been listening to this explanation with interest, blinked, cocking his head to the side. "You don't know what Zoro does?" he asked, sounding confused. Then he beamed. "Aw, who cares? I'm sure it's really cool, whatever it is!"

Vivi seemed a bit more bothered by this fact than Luffy, wondering how she could have overlooked that. Still, it was probably nothing. She did know he worked, but he didn't work regular hours... hmm.

"Yes, I'm sure it's cool," she said with a laugh. "What about you, Luffy? Will you get a job?"

The boy frowned thoughtfully before grinning and nodding. "Yeah! Or at least I'll try! Maybe I can be…um...um…a pirate!" he cried, punching his fist into the air. "Yeah! That'd be a cool job!"

"A pirate, huh?" Sanji had stepped into the room a few moments earlier, long enough to catch the question and its answer. He looked rather amused, and smiled winningly towards Vivi, quickly taking a seat beside her. "They could use bus boys at the restaurant, but I don't exactly trust you with that," he told Luffy, only half-joking.

Luffy blinked, brow furrowing in confusion. "'Bus boys'? What do they do? Do they ride buses?" he asked.

Sanji stared back in confusion, before he sighed. "No," he began, annoyed, trying to explain it as if he were speaking to a young child. "They bus the tables. That means they take all the plates and glasses and silverware from the tables after the customers leave."

"Oh!" Luffy snapped his fingers, grinning. "I could do that! Sounds like fun! I should try that!" he babbled.

Sanji didn't exactly feel like babysitting Luffy all day long on the job, but he just let the matter go for now, reclining a bit in his chair and giving a simple nod. "Yeah, I guess so." It certainly didn't sound like fun to him, but he had already decided that Luffy was strange.

Luffy was strange, the marimo was strange. They were fucking meant for each other.

"Okay, I've decided!" the boy declared, hoping to his feet from the table. "Tomorrow I'm gonna look for a job! And it'll be a really cool job! Like a pirate or a busboy or something! I'm gonna go tell Zoro!" With that he charged out of the room, yelling all about how he going to get a job.

The job market was doomed.

"Oh, god," Sanji muttered, raising a hand to his forehead as if a headache was coming on. He suddenly felt the need for another smoke. "That kid just causes trouble wherever he goes..."

Luffy took the stairs two at a time and then charged down the hall, going so fast he managed to miss Zoro's room completely and run all the way to the end of the hallway. He also managed to run into the door at the end with a loud BANG!

The boy yelped in pain, pulling back and rubbing his face before turning around and running back to Zoro's room.

He threw open the door with the cry of "ZORO! Zoro" He then paused, blinking at the sleeping form on the bed.

The boy grinned mischievously before flinging himself across the room, landing on top of the sleeping swordsman. "Zoro! Wake up!"

Awakening from his slumber almost instantly, Zoro's hands grabbed Luffy's arms roughly, flipping him over and pinning him down to the mattress as if subduing an attacker. His eyes held a strange, frightening sort of fire in them, but as Zoro saw that it was only Luffy, his grip on the boy's arms loosened considerably and the fire in his eyes extinguished.

"Luffy--" he blinked, frowning. "Don't do that to me."

Luffy yelped in surprise as he went from being on top of the older man to being pinned to the bed in a matter of seconds. He gave a large grin as Zoro's dangerous expression softened, giggling. "Heh, sorry Zoro."

Zoro sighed, but didn't bother moving away. "Well? What's so important that you had to come wake me up like that?" He was pretty sure he had been dreaming something nice, too... though he couldn't quite remember what it was.

"I'm gonna get a job!" the boy said excitedly, still grinning. "And it's gonna be a really cool job! Like a pirate or a busboy or…or…A NINJA! Oh! Or I could be a cardcaptor like Sakura!" he rambled, dark chocolate orbs wide and bright as he thought of the possibilities.

Zoro hardly had the energy to deal with this right now. "Luffy," he spoke softly, sighing. "You don't need to get a job. I can take care of you. You just need to worry about school, alright?" Zoro didn't even want to think about the trouble Luffy could cause with a job.

Luffy blinked up at the older man, cocking his head to the side. "But everyone else in the house has a job! I _want_ one, it kind of looks like it would be fun…besides, if I had a job things would be easier on you right? I know you said you can take care of me, but if I had a job it'd make things a lot easier…wouldn't it?"

Zoro just sighed. "If you really want one, I can't stop you. But it's not as fun as you think."

The boy made a face at him, sticking out his tongue. "I bet it'll be lots of fun!" he declared, reaching up to poke Zoro in the forehead. "You're just…jealous cause my job's going to be awesome. Yeah."

"Sure. Whatever you say." Zoro couldn't say he particularly liked his job, but he didn't dislike it -- and as far as he knew, he had never killed anyone innocent, though he didn't ask too many questions. It helped him better his skills and it paid well -- what more could he ask for?

Looking down at Luffy, however, Zoro blinked, suddenly realizing the position he had pinned Luffy into. He quickly pulled his hands away, rolling off the boy to lie beside him instead.

Luffy beamed. "Yup! My job's gonna be the coolest ever!" he declared again with a small laugh as Zoro rolled off of him. He hadn't really minded that the swordsman had been on top of him, though it seemed the 'mystery feeling', which had made a small reappearance, left when he had moved away. Well, that was kind of sad, Luffy had grown to kind of like this 'mystery feeling'.

Come to think of it, said 'mystery feeling' tended to appear when he was in close contact with Zoro…and Luffy also rather liked just being close to Zoro…

Hmm. How weird.

The boy rolled over onto his side so he could face Zoro, propping himself up on his elbows. "So, what's your job like?" he inquired, curiosity shining in his innocent, dark eyes.

"My... job?" Zoro was caught off-guard by this question, and his sleepy mind was having a hard time producing an answer that was truthful without being revealing. "It's nothing special. I just work when I'm told to and get my job done, quick and easy." There. That sounded about right. No mention of blood, or death, or the way a sick sort of strangeness overtook him when he had those swords in his hands. No mention of how he loved to hear them scream, no mention of how gratifying it was to get a worthy opponent who fought back. "It's nothing you'd be interested in."

Luffy frowned. "Nothing I'd be interested in? Aw come on, that's not fair. I wanna know!" he pouted, folding his arms.

"There's nothing to know," Zoro said firmly, and as far as he was concerned, that was the end of that conversation. "C'mon, get to sleep. You have a big day ahead of you tomorrow. You have to go take that placement test and get your uniform."

The boy's face lit up again at the thought of what was to come tomorrow. "Oh yeah, the test thingy and the uniform th-" He was cut off by a loud yawn. "-thing…damnit Zoro, you made me all sleepy," he said, sitting up and pulling his knees up to his chest so he could pull back the covers.

"Now I'll actually have to do that-" he gave another yawn. "-sleeping thing…"

Zoro gave a subdued, gentle laugh, squirming a bit in an attempt to get comfortable. He pulled the covers over himself and Luffy, closing his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. 'Night, Luffy."

Luffy yawned again, snuggling a bit closer to Zoro as his eyes fell shut. "G'night Zoro."

* * *

It wasn't often that Zoro woke up in the middle of the night, but rather unpleasant dreams plagued him, and it wasn't long before they shattered and threw him into reality, breaking him awake in a cold sweat. His chest heaved, trying to get the terrible memories of the dream from his mind.

And then he realized that his arms were empty.

"...Luffy?" He sat up, rubbing his eyes and looking around. Where could Luffy possibly be?

The bedroom door wasn't open, but maybe he'd gone to the bathroom?

A sudden draft through the room made him shudder, and then he realized--

The window was open.

"What the hell?" He stood from the bed, albeit tiredly, and hobbled over to the window. What was going on?

And then he heard it. A voice, coming from -- above?

Was Luffy on the roof!

Zoro took a moment to make sure he wasn't hearing things, but no, there was certainly a voice coming from up there -- though it didn't sound exactly like Luffy's...

Zoro got a bad feeling in his stomach. He needed to get up there and check it out.

Quiet laughter rang through the cool night air in a voice that was almost like Luffy's. But it wasn't Luffy's laugh. Luffy's was carefree and loud, warm and filled with jovial energy, whereas this one was quiet, sinister, and cold.

"It's kind of funny…I didn't want him to remember anything, yet this memory was what triggered my release…how convenient." It did indeed sound like Luffy's voice, but there was an undertone to it that wasn't quite his. Something a bit deeper and richer…almost like an entirely different person's voice.

"It's fine…even if he remembers everything, it won't change anything." A soft chuckle, devoid of any mirth.

"Now isn't the time to be musing on it, anyway…after all, I do believe I owe a certain cigar-smoking bastard a visit. After all, I certainly can't leave him alive after seeing my face…he recognized my host, after all…"

Climbing up onto the roof wasn't a problem. What Zoro saw once he got up there was.

It was Luffy, that was for sure -- but he had his back towards him, and he hadn't even seemed to have noticed Zoro's arrival.

What the hell is he doing?

Zoro took a few steps closer, the wind whipping at his pajamas. Was Luffy insane?

The boy was silent for a few moments, strands of black hair flying around his head in the wind, oversized blue t-shirt flapping around him.

There was a soft chuckle. "Found him."

Then, without warning, Luffy flung out his arms and charged towards the edge of the roof.

"What the--!" Zoro didn't even think, he just broke into a run after Luffy, crying out his name in distress and, at the very last moment, catching the boy around his waist, before he could tumble to the pavement.

Luffy let out a howl of alarm as Zoro caught him, twisting in his grasp to glare at him, face twisted into a snarl. His pupils were dilated and his hair fell forward in front of his narrowed eyes, giving him a sort of crazed look. "_What_ do you think you're doing, human?" he snarled, one small hand reaching out to grab hold of Zoro's shirt while the other pulled back to form a fist.

Zoro stared at Luffy with wide eyes, pulling him back further away from the edge of the roof. It was only a two-story house, so it probably wouldn't kill Luffy to fall off, but Zoro certainly didn't want him injured. "Luffy, what the hell are you talking about!"

Luffy opened his mouth to yell again, but before a sound could leave his lips his eyes flashed crimson, then fell halfway closed. His raised fist relaxed, falling to his side as he collapsed against the swordsman's chest with a groan.

Zoro stood on the roof a moment in silence, eyes searching Luffy, panicking, spooked, having no idea what to do. Then, finally, he decided that standing there on top of the house wasn't doing any good, and he held Luffy tighter to him as he approached the edge of the roof by his window and cautiously began to climb down, swinging back into the window and landing on his carpet with a gentle thump.

He placed Luffy on the bed, then turned to shut the window. He turned back and leaned against the cool glass, staring at Luffy's form on the bed, a bad taste in his mouth. Everything felt so surreal. He was sure he was having some insane kind of dream...

Why the hell would Luffy go on the roof? Why had he looked that way? Why did he say what he did?

...too confusing. Zoro didn't like it.

He locked the window, moving to the bed and securely wrapping both arms around Luffy, nearly pulling the young boy under him, as if to insure that Luffy would not have a midnight walk again.

* * *

The next morning, it was almost as if nothing had happened. The autumn morning sun shown through the window, brightening the entire room. What few birds that stuck around with winter coming were chirping outside. It looked like it was going to be another nice day.

Luffy awoke to this, opening his eyes to look around the room sleepily. He gave a loud yawn, distantly wondering why Zoro's arms were wrapped around him so tightly and why he was pulled so close to him. Not that he minded.

He yawned again, snuggling closer to the swordsman. He certainly wouldn't mind staying like this for awhile.

Wakening with Luffy's squirming, he sighed, yawning a bit and mentally cursing the sun for being so bright.

He had nearly forgotten about the night before, but he was reminded with Luffy pulled so tightly against him...

Still, Zoro didn't move, unsure what to do or say.

Finally, he decided on a simple, "Sleep well?" which he leaned down and gruffly asked into Luffy's ear.

Luffy smiled and nodded, shifting a bit under the covers. "Yup."

Loosening his arms around Luffy, Zoro slightly pulled himself away, staring strangely into the boy's dark eyes.

"...if you say so." Maybe it had just been a dream. After all, how could something that weird happen in real life? And Luffy wouldn't lie to him about something like that, so it was probably nothing.

Luffy's smile became a grin as he sat up. "I say so!" He said cheerfully, bouncing on the bed as he sat up. He then cocked his head to side as he looked down at Zoro, raising an eyebrow and frowning. Zoro was acting kind of weird. "Did you?"

"Not really," he muttered, rubbing his eyes a bit. "Nightmares..."

Luffy's frown deepened. "Nightmares?" he repeated. "About what?"

He paused, not wanting to mention the ones about her dying, the ones about blood and loneliness and pain.

"You trying to jump off the roof, for one," he snorted, trying to make it sound almost humorous.

Luffy blinked at Zoro for a moment before giving a short laugh. "Me jumping off of a roof? That's weird, why would I do something like that?" he wondered aloud, still smiling.

"I have no idea," he muttered. Had it really been a dream? But it seemed so real... and the way he had been holding Luffy when he awoke...

Well, maybe he had just done that in his sleep.

"You'd better get ready to go take that test." Zoro didn't want to linger on the damn dream, really. It had freaked him out, and enough was enough.

"Oh yeah…the test thing…Does that mean I have to---what was it? Oh yeah, 'stooody'?" He made a face at the word, as if it were something completely foreign to him.

Zoro made a face. "Study? It's a little late for that now. Don't worry about it. Its just a test to see how much you know so they know where to put you, I guess." Hopefully Luffy hadn't forgotten his schooling like he had forgotten everything else, or they'd be enrolling the boy in Kindergarten.

"Oh…well that's okay then!" Luffy said cheerfully. "I can do that! Do you think they'll put me with you?" he asked, sounding hopeful.

"With me?" Zoro blinked some at him. "Well... you're only seventeen, right? So the highest level they'd put you at would be the one below mine." He shrugged. "We'll still see each other."

"So I won't be with you, but I'd still see you? Well…I guess that'd be okay. Isn't Ussop in that level? I think Vivi said he was…and I'll still get to see you and everyone else, yay!" he cheered.

Smiling a little, Zoro forced himself to sit up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. He really didn't feel like being awake. "Yeah, you will. Just get ready."

"Okay!" Luffy said cheerfully, hopping out of bed. He began to dig through the plastic bags that held the clothes they had bought yesterday, tossing a few things this way and that. He blinked in confusion at one garment however, holding it up. "Zoro? Was Nami _supposed_ to put one of those skirt thingies in here?"

Staring at the offending garment for a moment, Zoro frowned, grabbing it from Luffy's hand and staring at it. "Yeah, right, sure," he muttered sarcastically. "Why don't you go tell Nami all about how I made you put it on for me once it got dark and quiet last night?"

"Okay!" Luffy said, snatching the skirt from Zoro's hands and charging out of the room. "NAMI!" he yelled as he charged down the hall, stopping at the room which he was pretty sure was Nami's and banging on it. Then he realized he wasn't quite sure that one was Nami's.

"NAMI! NAMI NAMI NAMI NAMI!" Luffy continued to yell, running around and banging on EVERY door.

Zoro stood there for a few long, distant seconds in confusion, trying to figure out what had just happened...

When it occurred to him that Luffy apparently did not understand sarcasm.

"Oh, shit," he gasped, quickly rushing out of the room after the boy.

Eventually a VERY angry looking Nami threw open the first door that had been banged on. "WHAT? WHAT IS IT? I was trying to SLEEP Luffy! This is my only day that I get to sleep in!" she cried, throwing her hands into the air. "WHAT is so important that you feel the need to wake me up?"

Usopp came peeking out of his door was well, looking rather groggy and ticked off. "Yeah, what's with waking us ALL up, Luffy?" he demanded.

Luffy blinked, looking from Nami to Usopp and back before grinning and holding out the skirt. "Zoro told me to tell you about how he made me put this on last night when it got all dark and quiet!"

Silence.

Nami and Usopp both stared at Luffy for a few seconds. Then they both burst out laughing, Nami laughing so hard she had to use the doorframe to hold herself up where as Usopp just fell to the floor cackling.

"Y-you're kidding me!" Usopp cried through tears of laughter. "He actually did that?"

"Ha! I knew it! I so knew he'd find a use for that! I was right, he's _so_ gay!" Nami cackled.

Zoro stopped dead in the hallway, feeling the life drain out of him as he heard these words. Sanji was in his doorway as well, arms crossed over his bare chest, smirking widely.

"I just wanna know what the marimo did to the poor boy once he got him out of it," he said coolly, and Zoro felt his face get hot with anger.

Luffy blinked in confusion, cocking his head to the side. Why were they laughing?

Nami fell into an uncontrollable fit of giggles. "Isn't it obvious? They had some hot steamy man-on-man SMEX!" she cried, punching her fist into the air.

Usopp, whom had just begun to breathe again, burst into laughter once more.

Sanji looked torn between cheering Nami-san on and making fun of Zoro, so he settled on a bit of both, laughing mirthfully himself. Zoro forced himself to take a few steps down the hall and grab Luffy's upper-arm, beginning to try and pull him back down the hall.

"That never happened," he stated firmly, shooting a scathing glare towards Nami.

Nami continued to crack up. "He came straight from the boy's mouth, Zoro! You're just in denial!" she declared.

Luffy still looked horribly confused. "How come everyone's laughing? Why are they laughing, Zoro? You told me to do it, so I did," he said, blinking up at Zoro.

"I didn't mean it, Luffy, I was being sarcastic!" he cried, eyes bulging. "It was just a joke!"

"Oh….it was a joke? Really? So I wasn't supposed to tell them? Um…whoops…" Luffy gave a sheepish laugh. Then he blinked in confusion. "Why wasn't I supposed to say that?"

"Because Zoro doesn't want the rest of us to know that he's finally accepted his inner gay side!" Usopp said, still chuckling as he finally managed to sit up.

"Yeah, what you guys did last night _proves it_!" Nami declared, pointing a finger at the two of them.

Luffy blinked in confusion. "But nothing happened. I went to sleep, that was it. I never wore the dress thing."

Both Nami and Usopp's faces fell.

"…Really?" Nami asked.

Luffy nodded, giving a sheepish laugh and scratching his head.

Both stood in silence for a moment.

"…Awwwwwwwwwwwwww…." Nami finally whined, stomping her foot. "Darn! Guess we'll just have to try harder until it comes true…" she said with a sigh.

Usopp nodded in agreement.

Finally, Zoro sighed, shaking his head, and forcefully pulled Luffy back into his bedroom, shutting the door tight. He pulled the skirt from Luffy's hands, crumpling it and tossing it into the corner of his room.

"Will you please just get ready?" he asked, angry. His cheeks were flushed, and he sighed.

Luffy's shoulders tensed a bit. Zoro seemed pretty mad…of course, he had a pretty good reason to be. He bit his lip, once again going through the bag full of clothes. "'Kay…"

He didn't really quite get what had been wrong with what had happened, but he figured it hadn't been a good thing since everyone had been laughing. And Zoro seemed mad...and embarrassed…and it was all Luffy's fault too.

The boy pulled out the hoodie from the day before and glanced at it for a moment before pulled off Zoro's oversized blue t-shirt with a fluid motion. He yanked the hoodie over his head. "Sorry Zoro," he mumbled, voice muffled a bit by the fabric. "I didn't know you were joking…" he added as his head poked through the top, glancing down at his feet. "Sorry."

Watching Luffy, Zoro sighed, looking away and crossing his arms over his chest. "Yeah, yeah," he muttered, going to the dresser and fishing through for his own clothes. "Just don't do it again."

"…Okay," Luffy said as he kicked off the swordsman's jeans and pulled on the khaki's from the day before. He couldn't help but smile a bit as he moved around. As much as he loved Zoro's clothes, it was nice to be wearing something that actually fit him for a change.

Finding some clothes, Zoro pulled them on and sighed, looking around to Luffy. "We'll eat breakfast and go," he said, still a bit angry from before but trying not to show Luffy.

Luffy perked up a bit at the mention of food, smile becoming a small grin. "Okay!" he said, rushing over to the door. He paused as his hand reached the handle, turning to glance back at Zoro as if waiting for him.

Zoro blinked, but took a few steps closer to follow, grabbing his motorcycle's keys off the dresser as he went.

* * *

**To be continued…**

**  
**_Poor Zoro…we do abuse him so. Anyway, reviews! (Gigantic, hard-covered dictionary falls onto Digital's head) _

**KuroKame: **_Oh, nothing more happened in the tale of the demon rat. They found it and Ussop screamed and ranted until someone got sick of the screaming and tossed it outside. The end. _

**Katiiey: **_Yeeaaah, Luffy's not rubber. Brilliant deduction, Sherlock! Sorry, I had to say that. Yes, talk about a major loyalty conflict, we'll see how things work out, ne? _

**poxmaker: **_Tsk tsk! So many questions and none that I can answer without giving anything away. You'll just have to read and find out! _

**Griever5: **_Oh yes…when this fic ends, you will be sad! But I won't tell you why…(grins) And of course Robin knows more than the others…it like, has to be so. _

**Hasuko: **_XP That line from Sanji was indeed genius, Constable wrote it! And hey, maybe Robin's involved, maybe she's not and she's just now sticking her head in? Who knows? Yes, I will update with tremendous speed! Yes I will! _

**AlibisDragon: **_Well, what did you think of Nami's "simple action"? XP _

**eclipse-moon: **_Somehow I don't feel too intimidated by a intangible spirit threatening me with a carving knife, really. As for the villain, he is a villain from One Piece but I can say that he's not Kuro. If you didn't recognize him by his codename though, you're probably not far enough into the series to know who he is anyway. _

**Mai Hayami: **_Why thank you. _

**Miya: **_Heh, I'm glad you connect with the characters. That must mean we're doing a good job, right? We're rooting for them to get together soon too! _

**Dark Angel Kira: **_Um…alright, I updated. Um…yay? Maybe Mister denial there won't be in denial anymore after he reads this chapter, ne? _

**Raikou Ikazuchi: **_Wow…um…thank you. (revives you from your exploded state) You crave more of this fic? I feel special. As for Smoker…(smiles deviously) Oh yes, he'll appear for a short time… _

**morgan: **_Zoro is so the man. Damn straight. _

**WhiteTigeress666: **_Yay, Ussop was hilarious! I feel special. _

**Lamia Metisou: **_Ah yes, DBZ. I thought that was it, I was just making sure. _

**Griffingurl: **_Last chapter made your brain hurt? I'm sorry, here's some ice to make it feel better. I hope you didn't die during Go-karting, because I would genuinely miss you and your reviews! _

**Xeora: **_Oh yay, a puppy! Um…crap, it's chewing on my stuff and peeing on my floor and…eewww. Here, you can have your puppy back. _

**queen of the world: **_Wow, I feel loved. People have things to hide in this fic? Whatever gave you that idea? (shifty eyes) _

**YuugiLover3: **_(laughs) No, Zoro is not Luffy's daddy. He's just sort of responsible for him, kind of like a husband is for his wife and vice versa. Since Luffy is nearly an adult anyway, Zoro's just kind of his guardian until Luffy's next birthday. As for the sweater, I don't care how long it takes. Take your time! And yay, Captain Kuro costume! Good luck with that! _

…We have rabid fangirls?

**KairiQueen: **_You'd better have gotten some SLEEP by the time you read this. Devil fruit powers? Well, some people do have powers, but they aren't from the devil fruit. Woot, I get a sock with black turtles! Yay! Merry Christmas to you too! _

**Next chapter:**_ Small things forgotten and the placement test._


	15. Tests

**-Tangled Web-  
A role-play/joint-fic by Digitaldreamer and Constable Remington  
Chapter Fifteen: Tests **

_Holy crap! Two hundred reviews already? Wow…just wow. Thank you all so much for your support! It makes Constable and I like, uber happy to know so many people love this fanfic…role-play….thing. _

Special thanks goes to IcySapphire15 as our two hundredth reviewer! Congratulations! (throws confetti)

Thank you everyone!

In other news, I got a new Cardcaptor Sakura DVD. It makes me insanely happy. Dreaming! Dreaming!

_Ummm…happy Fourth of July? _

…Alright, I'll shut up so you can read now.

* * *

Luffy gave a small grin before pulling open the door and rushing into the hallway and down the stairs, once again with the battle cry of "FOOD!"

Following him down the stairs, Zoro sighed. The kitchen was empty -- Sanji must have put his lazy ass back in bed. Zoro went to the pantry, digging around until he found bread, shoving a piece in the toaster. "What do you want?"

The boy shrugged. He sidled up next the swordsman, peering up into the pantry. He then grinned, reaching up and snatching the box of Crunch Berry Cap'n Crunch. "I want this!" He declared, waving it as though it were some kind of prize that he had won.

Zoro raised an eyebrow, watching him. "You want it in a bowl with some milk or dry?" He asked, waiting for his toast. The toaster popped it up, and Zoro grabbed it, taking a bite.

Luffy shook his head as he opened the box and reached in, pulling out a fistful of Cap'n Crunch and stuffing it into his mouth. He rushed over to the fridge, still carrying the box, and whipped out the milk. He waved it in the air and seemed to be asking something, but his mouth was full so whatever he was saying couldn't be deciphered.

Staring after him, Zoro slowly approached him, blinking. "What?" He didn't understand what Luffy was asking at all. Taking the milk jug from him, he made a face.

Luffy gulped the cereal down and laughed. "I asked if you could get me a mug since you were over there. But I could get it now if you don't want to." He said, walking over to the cupboard. He pulled it open, then frowned. The mugs were apparently on the second shelf, just high enough that he couldn't reach them.

He whined, standing on his tiptoes to reach the glass. Nope, he couldn't reach it. The boy scowled before jumping up in an attempt to reach the closest mug. Nope, still not quite close enough.

Luffy pouted, glaring up at the mugs for a moment before pressing his palms against the countertop and climbing onto it. He pulled his knees onto the marble, wavering a bit as he attempted to keep his balance. The boy then grinned as he finally reached into the cupboard and pulled out a mug.

"Got it!" He said cheerfully, waving his ceramic prize around as though it were some great achievement that he had obtained it.

Zoro watched Luffy, quickly darting behind him, ready to catch either Luffy or the mug in case either should fall. He was slightly amused that the boy hadn't even been able to reach it.

"You could have just asked me," he muttered, taking another bite of toast.

Luffy laughed. "Yeah, I know. But I wanted to try and get it myself." He said as he began to make his way down. However, just as he was about to get off of the counter he finally lost his balance, and tumbled backwards with a yelp.

Zoro quickly put the toast in his mouth, reaching both arms out to grab a hold of Luffy -- and the mug -- before either could topple to the floor.

The boy blinked as he found himself falling into the older man's arms instead of hitting the floor. Not that he was really surprised, Zoro had been right there after all. Not that he minded being in Zoro's arms either…

He gave a relieved laugh, grinning. "Whoops! Guess I slipped! Thanks for catching me, Zoro." He said as he craned his neck to look up at the swordsman.

Zoro sighed, nodding, unable to talk with toast sticking out of his mouth. He pulled Luffy into a stand, pulling the toast from his mouth and taking a bite. "You need to be more careful, Luffy," he muttered, slightly annoyed. This had not been the start of a very good day.

Luffy laughed again, scratching the back of his head and looking sheepish. "Yeah, I guess I do," he said as he set the mug on the counter. He then beamed at Zoro, reaching over and giving him a small hug. "But I knew you would be there to catch me if I fell, so there wasn't really much to be careful about."

Zoro blinked, thinking about this. He frowned. Luffy depended on him... so what would Luffy do if something were to happen to him? Zoro had learned long ago that dependency was a weakness... but he didn't know how to tell Luffy this. Finishing his toast, he grabbed Luffy's mug, filling it with milk and handing it back to him.

The boy smiled as he took the mug. "Thanks Zoro!" Then he frowned, glancing down at the mug. Something wasn't quite right for what he planned on doing.

He shrugged and tipped back the mug, beginning to gulp the milk down. Once it was half empty he set it down with a small clink. He examined the red ceramic mug for a moment, and then nodded in approval. Luffy snatched the Cap'n Crunch from where he had placed it on the counter, and then began pouring the cereal into the half-filled mug with a wide grin on his face.

Somehow he managed to do this without making milk splatter everywhere, as if he had done it many times before and knew exactly what he was doing.

Once the mug was full of milk and cereal he set the box down and began to wordlessly gulp down his breakfast.

Watching him oddly, Zoro blinked, taking the jug of milk and just drinking straight from it. Luffy was so strange, and whatever the hell he was doing was definitely weird.

He replaced the milk into the fridge, sighing and running a hand through his hair.

Luffy set down the mug for a moment, crunching on his cereal. He swallowed it with a wide, satisfied smile.

He wasn't quite sure why he liked it this way, but it reminded him of….something, of someone, though he wasn't quite sure what or who it was.

_"Why do you eat your cereal like that?"_

_  
"Cause' it's cool." _

"But it's so…weird."

"Ace, you do it too."

"Only cause if I eat it in a bowl I might fall asleep in it and mom'll get all upset about it! That doesn't mean you have to do it."

"Well, I want to, so nya! I wanna be just like you, Ace!"

Luffy swallowed the last of his food and gave a contented sigh as he set the mug into the sink. He turned out the faucet and set the water run into the mug to rinse it, then poured it out. He continued to smile as he dried the mug off.

Yes, Luffy was quite happy even if he had no idea why he had wanted to eat like that.

Zoro watched him, impressed that Luffy had actually cleaned up after himself. He sighed, glancing towards the hallway. "Well, c'mon then. We'd better go and get you to take that test."

Luffy beamed and nodded. "Yosh, let's go!" he said as he opened the cupboard again. He frowned up at the top shelf. "Oi…maybe you should put back this time?" He asked, looking back to Zoro. As much as he loved being in the swordsman's arms, he had learned his lesson and didn't feel like slipping and falling off the counter again.

"Yeah, yeah," Zoro grabbed the mug from Luffy's hands, replacing it back on the shelf and shutting the cupboard. "C'mon, let's go." He began to walk from the kitchen, trusting Luffy would follow.

"Coming!" Luffy chirped, hopping over to the pantry first and placing the Cap'n Crunch box back inside. He took a moment to grin back at Cap'n Crunch before closing the cupboard and following Zoro out of the kitchen.

Zoro was waiting outside, leaning slightly against the motorcycle. He glanced up as Luffy reached the door, waving a hand in greeting. He wondered how long the test would take... maybe he'd take Luffy somewhere to eat after... He climbed onto the motorcycle, pushing the kickstand up with his foot.

Luffy grinned as he hopped down the steps and rushed across the lawn, a look of excitement on his face. He got to ride the motorcycle! Again! Even though he had ridden it plenty of times yesterday, he still thought it was the coolest thing since sliced bread.

He reached the motorcycle with a loud 'whoop!' like sound, before hopping on behind Zoro and wrapping his arms around his waist. "We're gonna go really fast again, right?" He asked, grinning excitedly.

Zoro leaned slightly back into Luffy's hold, completely unconsciously. He started up the motorcycle, grinning to himself as it revved to life. "Yeah... we'll go fast," he promised.

And within minutes, they were flying down the street and out into the city.

* * *

Zoro had a habit of getting himself lost, but luckily, the school was one place he knew how to get to -- otherwise, he'd constantly be late for class. He made his way into the parking lot, parking the motorcycle and slipping off it. 

"Here is it," he muttered, gesturing towards the huge, brick building. "Yume High."

Luffy's jaw dropped as he hopped off of the motorcycle, staring up at the school with wide eyes. "Wow! It's huge!" He gasped. He looked back to Zoro. "You really go here every day? How do you not get lost?" He asked, awe in his tone.

"Honestly? I don't know, kid," he muttered, ruffling Luffy's hair. "C'mon, let's get this over with." He walked towards the school, grabbing Luffy's wrist and pulling him along.

Luffy followed Zoro into the school, gazing this way and that with exclamations of amazement.

"Wow, the trophies are so SHINY!"

"Oh! That poster is cool!"

"Oh my gosh! LOCKERS!"

If Luffy had ever been in a school before, he had obviously forgotten what it had been like if he was gasping at everything that he set eyes upon. Or maybe that was the sugared cereal talking.

Zoro sighed, watching Luffy as he pulled him through the hallways and finally ended up at the main desk. A squat little receptionist sat at the desk, and she was talking on the phone when Zoro arrived. She glanced up at him but otherwise made no move to end her conversation (which seemed to be focused on her husband and what a sweet man he was). Zoro was getting rather impatient, and he sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. Noticing his annoyance, the secretary pressed the phone to her shoulder, looking up at him with big eyes.

"What can I do for you?" she asked, and he gestured towards Luffy.

"He's here to take the placement exam," he muttered.

"What's his name?"

"Monkey D. Luffy." Zoro made a face at the odd name.

The lady looked at him with blank eyes before she smiled and nodded.

"Ah, yes, Luffy, I remember now. Hold on just a moment please." And she returned to her phone conversation.

Zoro simply stared.

Luffy stared blankly at the lady. She was really short, and kind of fat, with a lot of make-up caked onto her face. He wrinkled his nose a bit; he really hated it when ladies did that. He really hoped she would stop talking soon so he could get this test thing done.

He shifted from foot to foot, glancing around the office. His gaze only ended up back at the secretary, however, whom was still apparently talking. The boy sighed, blowing a puff of air upwards and ruffling his bangs.

So…boring…

Finally, Zoro urgently hit his hand against the desk, and the secretary, startled, placed the phone down.

"Yes, can I help you!" she asked again, only this time it was much more upset and angry. Zoro didn't back down however.

"We're here to take the placement exam!" He cried, annoyed, and she sighed.

"And what is his name?"

Zoro was sure they had been through this already.

"Monkey D. Luffy," he growled, not even caring about the name at this point.

"...Luffy, Luffy..." She seemed to be thinking. "I'm not sure we have a..." The woman turned her chair towards a stack of files, flipping through them. "No, I'm pretty sure we don't--"

Zoro wanted to kill someone.

"...Oh yes! Monkey D. Luffy, right here!" She laughed a little. "That's odd, how could I forget that?" She pulled a large test from one of the folders, as well as a pencil from a nearby cup. Turning to Luffy, she smiled graciously and held out the testing packet towards him. "The testing room is just through this door and on the right." She gestured to a door behind her. "Good luck!"

Luffy smiled at the secretary, nodding in thanks as he took the packet. He headed over to the door, pausing a moment to glance back at Zoro and grin. "Wish me luck!" He chirped before throwing open the door and making his way to the testing room, letting the fall shut behind him with a click.

"Good luck," Zoro muttered slowly, sighing and turning to sit in one of the seats to wait. He wondered how long this would take...

Picking up a magazine, he didn't even look at the cover, beginning to flip through it without thinking. He sighed, glancing at a random article.

"Four ways to make anyone fall in love with you!"

He snerked -- but he was bored enough to read on. Besides, he told himself, he wanted to know what kind of crap Nami was throwing into her brain -- he was pretty sure this was the same magazine she was always reading.

"Hang around lots but then be unavailable," the magazine detailed. "Let them do nice things for you. Give them the eye--" Zoro had no idea what the fuck that was supposed to mean-- "Don't look away."

That was just stupid.

Zoro shook his head and shut the magazine, setting it back against the table. What a load of crap. If anyone just sat there and stared at him, he'd be more annoyed than enthralled.

Luffy sighed as he stared down at the words on the paper, tapping his pencil against his desk in a drum beat.

Who was George Washington again? Wasn't he a mayor or something like that?

Luffy eventually decided to just scribble in the letter C, 'he chopped down an apple tree' since he couldn't seem to remember exactly who George Washington was.

This test was proving to be a bit harder than he thought.

In the waiting room, Zoro had taken to reclining in his chair and facing the window. The sun coming in felt nice, and after a while, the dull chatter of the secretary melted into nothingness and Zoro was fast asleep.

An hour or so later Luffy finally came back into the office, a large smile on his face as he waved the now slightly bent and torn up test packet in the air. "I'm done!" He crowed.

Zoro woke quickly with Luffy's voice, looking up groggily. The secretary was already bustling over to take the packet from Luffy's hands, and walked back over to feed it into some kind of scanner. Zoro was just amazed she was off the phone. How long had he been out?

"Hmm..." she said lightly. "I'll send your results to the councilor and she will make up a schedule for you, the lady said with a smile. "You'll be in the Junior class."

Luffy punched his fist into the air. "Yes!" He cheered. "I'm just one grade below Zoro! Yosha!" He then proceeded to do an odd sort of victory dance, which mostly involved jumping up and down and waving his arms.

In all honesty even he was a bit amazed that he had done it. He'd only known one or two questions at first, all the rest he hadn't known and had just guessed on. But about a forth of the way into the test something odd happened, it was like there was a little voice at the back of his head telling him what answers to choose. The voice sounded like it was right, so Luffy had listened to it.

Well hey, it worked!

Zoro watched him oddly before laughing. "Yeah, yeah, calm down, calm down," he said. Obviously, the nap had done some good, as he seemed in a much better mood. "We still need to get you a uniform."

"The councilor will have your schedule tomorrow, just stop here before first period," the secretary advised. "And I believe uniforms can still be purchased at the uniform store downtown until 9 o'clock."

Zoro nodded. He knew where that store was. He had just had to get new uniforms there last summer because he had grown out of the old ones.

Still, he wasn't thrilled. The store was owned by three sisters -- triplets -- and they adored poking and squealing over and fitting their customers. At least it was lively... Luffy was sure to fit right in.

"C'mon, Luffy, let's go get you some clothes and lunch," Zoro said, standing from his chair and stretching. The receptionist was back in her chair and back on the phone.

"Yosh, lunch!" Luffy cheered, doing his "Yay-we're-going-to-EAT" dance as he bounced towards the door. He was certainly hyper for someone who had just taken a big test. "And UNIFORMS! Woo!"

Zoro sighed, grabbing Luffy's hand in his own in an attempt to get him to calm down. He began pulling Luffy towards the exit, giving the school building a passing glare as he left. He didn't like school very much.

* * *

**To be continued… **

_Indeed, Zoro does not like school very much. Then again, don't we all? _

_Reviews!_

**Dark Angel Kira:** _So….you're telling me your muse likes Zoro, then? Too bad he's Luffy's…_

**WhiteTigeress666:** _Of course Zoro wasn't dreaming, that was indeed real. And there is still much more to come…_

**Lamia Metisou:**_ We have a rabid fangirl? Um…wow._

**The Plushie Bandit:** _Now why ever would we have Zoro do that? That would be cruel…(grins) Oh, how was the four day wait in front of the computer? I hope you didn't starve to death…_

**Griever5:** _Will someone die? Maybe, maybe not. I'm not telling._

**Illusion of a Lunatic:** _Your favorite One Piece fic so far? Um…wow. Glad you like it._

**Ashley W.:** _Heh, how's that for service, ne? Wow, this fic gives you goosebumps? Wow…_

**Mai Hayami:** _What? No crits from Mai? Um...thank you?_

**Angel of the Mirror: **_Luffy is schizo? Um…sure. Maybe he is, maybe he isn't. Yes, Nami is so cruel, yet she's doing it for a good cause… _

**YuugiLover3: **_Yes, Luffy is Bipolar. Sort of. Yeah, I'll go with that for now. And Luffy and Zoro are on the second floor of the boarding house, and it only has two floors. So just reaching up and grabbing the roof edge, then using it to pull themselves up isn't really that hard. _

**Hasuko: **_Sure, Luffy has an inner demon. Or maybe he's just schizo. Or maybe he's b bipolar. We're not telling. _

**queen of the world: **_Oh yes, Luffy has a yami. Maybe. Or maybe he's got an inner demon ala Naruto. Or maybe he's just schizo or bipolar. I'm not telling! And I want a popsicle, it's too hot for cookies right now. And maybe Ace was hit by a dumptruck…hmm…not telling! _

**KuroKame: **_Indeed, poor Luffy. I have a hard time getting sarcasm myself sometimes… _

**Xeora: **_Damn, I could definitely use a set of those plushies. Gimme the Zoro NOW! _

**kaoru-kun: **_Poor Zoro indeed. And to think it'll only get worse from here! _

**Ie Lanner: **_Too much seriousness isn't healthy? True true. _

**FEnM: **_Hmmm…is Luffy possessed? Maybe he is, maybe he isn't…and yes, more Luffy/Zoro closeness! I wanna write more of it. T.T _

**Katiiey: **_Was the smoking person that Luffy was talking about Sanji? Well, think about it. Does Sanji smoke cigars? And it definitely wasn't a dream, I can tell you that much. _

**Icy Sapphire15: **_No, Zoro didn't make Luffy where the skirt when it was dark. He was being sarcastic. _

**AlibisDragon: **_Indeed, throwing one-self off of roofs isn't generally a good thing. Neither is sneaking skirts into boys clothes. _

**Ryu Meijin: **_Indeed…very dangerous things can come from stupidity… _

**Raikou Ikazuchi: **_Wow, a signed review. I'm honored. Indeed, poor Zoro. We just abuse him constantly, don't we? As for the Smoker/Ace, I do heart the pairing so…sadly, I don't think there will be any. If there are, it will be implied…though perhaps once Tangled Web is over I can bug Constable into doing a little Smoker/Ace side-story. We'll see. XP _

**KairiQueen: **_Well, I'm glad you didn't stay up all night. But you should have gotten more sleep. Grrr. I sure wish you could get paid for being a pirate, I'd definitely be one! There, I updated. Now make that sequel! _

**goggle head girl: **_Awww, don't be shy! Glad you love this story to death…though if you love it to death does that mean it killed you or that you loved it so much that it killed the story? _

**flare2: **_Um…wow. Just wow. ...Uhm? We don't really understand what you can possibly mean. One minute you're chastising us for leaving out extraneous details, the next minute you're telling us we use too many? I'm not... not quite sure I follow. Also: before pointing out another's spelling and grammatical errors, perhaps you should look at your own review. Congratulations, you win the 2005 Stupid Award. _

**Next Chapter: **_Girls are scary. Really, they are. Just look at the girls who run the uniform fitting place, and you have a primes example._


	16. Girls are Scary

**-Tangled Web-**

**A role-play/joint-fic by Digitaldreamer and Constable Remington**

**Chapter Sixteen: Girls are Scary **

_You know what I just realized? Last chapter was insanely short, and so was this chapter. I should have just crammed them both together… _

Um…whoops?

Ah…well, here's the second part of the chapter! (runs) Enjoy!

**---**

Going out into the parking lot, Zoro once again found his precious motorcycle. "Alright, let's go get you fitted," he muttered, reluctantly letting go of the younger boy's hand.

Luffy inwardly sagged a tiny bit when the swordsman let go of his hand, but he perked up at the mention of the uniform. "Uniforms! Woot!" he repeated, punching his fist in the air as he vaulted onto the motorcycle, waiting for Zoro to get on.

Making a face at him, Zoro climbed onto the motorcycle, waiting for Luffy to grab a hold of him before they were speeding away from the school and into the downtown of the small city.

Zoro parked his motorcycle in front of a cute-looking store, where uniforms hung in the window. The building was painted bright colors, and Zoro shook his head at the sight of it, sliding from his ride and beginning to walk towards the door. He paused before opening it, however, glancing towards Luffy. "Maybe you should go in first," he offered. "They pounce the first person they see."

The boy blinked up at the store. Wow, it sure was…bright. That was cool! He glanced back at Zoro, raising an eyebrow. "'They'?" he repeated, but he didn't wait for answer as he was already pushing open the door. The tiny bell above the door tinkled as Luffy stepped in, glancing around. "Um….hello?"

"OH NO!" a feminine voice shrieked, and before Luffy could even have any idea what was happening, a thin, pale pair of arms had reached out and grabbed him around the neck, pulling him tightly in to the warmth and softness of a very female chest. The voice continued, squealing. "We have another one, sis! And look how cute he is!"

Another girl appeared from behind a counter, blinking, and when she saw what her sister had "caught", she cried out in protest. "No fair, sis! You took him all to yourself! Didn't we say you had to share! He's mine!" And within moments, she had vaulted herself over the counter and caught Luffy around the waist, snuggling up to him. "Aww, he's so soft!"

Luffy yelped in surprised as he suddenly found himself being hugged by not one, but _two_ girls, both of whom seemed rather content to gush over him while he suffocated from their spine-crushing hugs.

"M-miss….you're…crushing my spine…" he managed to choke out.

Zoro slowly, slowly opened the door, watching the two girls practically fondle and claim his friend.

He only hoped they wouldn't notice him.

And then the third one came up from behind Zoro, catching him in a flying kamikaze style tackle-glomp around the waist. "Squeee! Zoro-kun has come back to play with us!" she squealed.

Zoro cried out in surprise as the girl grabbed him, trying to shake her off. "Damnit, I'm not here to play with anyone!" he cried, exasperated. "We're just here to get Luffy a uniform!"

The girls seemed to have ignored Luffy's comments, as they both just squealed in happiness and pulled him closer.

"You mean we get to fit this little doll!" one cried.

Luffy choked as he suddenly found himself hugged even tighter. "Can't….breathe…" he gasped.

The third girl laughed, reaching up to ruffle Zoro's hair. "Awwww, so Zoro-kun doesn't want to play today? Well, as long as we get to fit the other one…" She gave another squeal of delight, releasing Zoro and rushing over to Luffy. She edged the two girls aside a bit so she could hug him as well!

Zoro grimaced, looking towards the pile of girls that used to be Luffy. He forcefully pulled them aside, trying to get to Luffy.

"Give him some air!" he cried.

"He's so cute... Zoro-kun, is he your baby brother?" one asked, ignoring that she had been pulled away and latching back on.

"No," Zoro said grufly. "He's my..." A pause. "My roommate."

"Oh..." The girl who worked behind the counter quirked a brow. "So he's yours, then?"

He stared blankly, unsure where this was leading.

"Uhm, yes..." he finally answered. "He's my roommate." And that was that.

"Not fair!" The girl cried. "Zoro-kun is hogging him all to himself!" And with that, she grabbed Luffy's arm, tugging him forward. "C'mon, let's measure him!"

Luffy--whom had been still be recovering from the spine-crushing hugs—let out a yelp as he was dragged further into the store. "Ack!"

These girls scared him.

The one who had snuck up on Zoro beamed, pushing Luffy along from behind. "Come on, come on! The less time this takes, the more time you have to actually try things on!" she cooed.

Following, Zoro watched with a rather blank expression, unsure how to respond.

The girls hurried him onto a stool in front of a very large mirror, one beginning to get a tape measurer from a nearby drawer. She tugged Luffy's arms up, beginning to take measurements, fully touching him with her well-manicured hands each chance she got, giggling and skipping around.

Luffy just blinked, watching his reflection in the mirror blink back at him. This was….really weird. And these girls were _really _scary. He craned his head back to glance at Zoro, giving him a frightened look.

One of the girls glared at him, flicking him in the forehead. "Eyes forward!" she insisted, wagging a finger at him.

Luffy pouted, squirming a bit. He hated standing still, and these girls and their measuring hands tickled.

Finally, when all the measurements had been taken down, one of the girls rushed off to find him the uniform he needed while another pulled out some pins to make alterations if they were needed.

Luffy's eyes bugged out a bit at the pins. Geez, he had just gotten poked with a needle yesterday!

The girl whose hands were free promptly gave Luffy a quick, bone-crushing hug. "Don't worry honey, the pins aren't going to poke you!" she cooed as she squeezed him particularly tight.

The boy choked, eyes bugging out even more. He would have preferred the pins.

The girl returned with the normal male uniform, the same one Luffy had seen Zoro wearing when he had had to leave the boy alone for school. She thrusted it to him.

"Here you go!" she said happily. "You can change right behind that curtain." She pointed to a shower curtain which had been strung up to act as a dressing room. The shower curtain was bright and decorated with the images of the Powerpuff Girls.

Luffy blinked down at the uniform, then blinked at the shower curtain. Then he grinned. "Squee, uniform!" he cheered, rushing behind the shower curtain. There were several zipping and shuffling noises, which was followed by the interesting image of Luffy's khaki's and hoodie being thrown over the curtain in his haste.

One girl stared blankly at the discarded clothes for a moment before giggling. "Awww, he's so kawaii!" she cooed. "So happy and enthusiastic too!"

Zoro scoffed a bit and shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest.

Luffy flung open the curtain, now clad in the uniform of Yume High. "Well? What do you think? Zoro, what do you think?" he asked, twirling and jumping up and down.

The girls shrieked with glee, but Zoro only stood there, looking Luffy up and down once, and then twice.

"Looks good," he finally said, smiling a little. "Now get changed back and we'll go."

"Yosh!" Luffy cheered, taking a few moments to do the 'Zoro said it looks good!' dance before grabbing his discarded clothes from the floor and rushing back into the changing area.

He came rushing out a few moments earlier, waving the uniform in the air. "Kay, let's go!"

The girls seemed disappointed, and one grabbed the uniform from the boy with a resounding "aww" as she took it to the cash register to bag it and ring it up. "You can always come back, you know," she giggled happily. "We do alterations and repairs on all kinds of clothes, too!"

Zoro sighed. "I don't think you'll have to worry about seeing us around, girls," he muttered.

Luffy gave a nod of agreement, though he was grinning. These girls scared him; no matter how nice they were nothing would change that fact. The sooner he got away from the scary girls and their high-pitched squeals, the better. He held out his hand for the bag, shifting from foot to foot.

The girl was about to hand him the bag, when she blinked, then grinned cheerfully. "First, you gotta give me a kiss!" she demanded, poking Luffy's nose.

Zoro just stared. This again? What was wrong with women!

"He doesn't want to," Zoro answered for Luffy, grabbing the bag from the girl's hands. "C'mon, let's go."

Luffy nodded, grin wider than it had been before. Not only did he now have a school uniform and he was getting lunch, but the swordsman had just saved him from having to kiss one of the scary girls! He shot Zoro a grateful look before waving to the girls. "Bye!"

However, before they could leave another girl snatched the bag with the uniform from Zoro's grasp. "I don't think so! If you're not gonna let him kiss _her, _then _you_ gotta kiss him!" she declared, putting the bag behind her back and pointing at Luffy with a mischievous grin.

"What!" Zoro eyes went to Luffy. He shook his head. "I don't think so," he muttered, annoyed. These girls were weird.

The girl's grin widened, eyes glinting. "Then he's not getting his uniform."

Luffy's face fell a bit at this. He _really _wanted his uniform.

"I paid for it!" Zoro cried, twitching a bit. This had to be against some kind of law.

The girl giggled. "Not entirely! Ever heard the saying 'sealed with a kiss'?"

Zoro sighed and frowned, leaning down an placing a quick kiss against Luffy's forehead. "Alright, now we're leaving."

The girl pouted, folding her arms and shaking her head. "I don't think so! That wasn't a _real _kiss, you cheater! Kiss him for real!"

Looking down at Luffy, the swordsman tensed. "Do you mind?" he finally asked. "I really just want to get out of here."

The girl shook her head again, giggling. "If you want to get of here so bad then you you'd better get to the smooching, ne?"

Luffy glanced back at Zoro, blinking up at him with large, innocent orbs of dark chocolate. Well, he did really want his uniform.

He smiled before stepping a bit closer and standing on his tip-toes. Putting his hands on the swordsman's shoulders for balance he planted a soft kiss on the older mans lips.

Zoro felt panic rising in his cheeks. He quickly pulled away from the boy, staring down at him with slightly wide eyes.

"Okay," he finally said, reaching a hand out for the bag. "Okay, now let us go."

The girl beamed, holding out the bad. "Here you go! Now that wasn't so hard, was it?" She gave another mischievous grin. "You know you liked it, Zoro-kun."

Luffy just laughed, a blush appearing on his cheeks as he scratched his head, saying nothing.

"Yeah right," he muttered, snatching the bag. "Whatever..." And with that he had grabbed Luffy's hand, pulling him out the door.

The high-pitched, shrill laughter of the girls followed them out, only falling silent when the glass door closed behind them.

"Yosh! I finally have a school uniform!" Luffy cheered, jumping up and down with Zoro's hand still holding his. After doing a few jumps in celebration he gave a carefree laugh, hugging the older man around the waist. "Thank you Zoro!"

Zoro couldn't help but smile faintly, rustling Luffy's hair and then pulling away from him. "Yeah, you're welcome," he muttered. "It's not like we can have you going to school in that thing Nami bought for you."

Luffy blinked in confusion. "This?" he asked, pulling on the end of the hoodie. "But I like this!" Then he recalled the other things Nami had bought for him. He cocked his head to the side, looking up at Zoro questioningly. "What about the skirt?" He still wasn't quite sure if he wasn't supposed to wear that article of clothing or not, Nami had bought it so didn't that mean he should wear it?

"That's what I'm talking about," Zoro grumbled. "You don't ever need to wear that stupid thing." He paused, handing Luffy the bag and sliding onto his motorcycle. "Ever." With a sigh, Zoro glanced about the street. "So, what do you want to eat?"

Luffy blinked in confusion as he hopped onto the bike behind Zoro. He wasn't supposed to wear the skirt? But he didn't really mind the skirt. Then again, Luffy could really care less what he was wearing as long as it was comfy, he could run around in the nude and wouldn't really care.

…Oh well, if Zoro said not to then he wouldn't.

He glanced around the street as well, putting his arms around the swordsman's waist. His mouth watered a bit as he glanced at the signs for various restaurants. "There's so many, and everything sounds so yummy! How can I choose?" he asked with a grin. The boy squeezed Zoro's waist, turning back to him. "I don't know what to pick! Everything looks yummy, how about you choose lunch this time?"

Zoro blinked, thinking for a moment. "Pizza?" he suggested. "Do you like it?"

Luffy laughed out loud, squeezing Zoro again. "Yup! I love pizza! It's one of my favorite-est foods EVER!" Never mind that just about every food was one of Luffy's favorite-est foods ever.

Zoro grinned a bit. "Good. I'll take you to Pizza Hut, then." The motorcycle started off, cruising through the streets until the two reached the restaurant. Zoro parked and swung off the cycle, looking towards Luffy.

Luffy hopped off as well, grinning widely as his sneakers hit the sidewalk. "Woot! Pizza!" he cried happily, doing a small jig. Apparently this was the 'Pizza, yay!' dance.

Shaking his head, the man began walking inside, making sure Luffy was behind them. A hostess seated them at a small booth with a large window at their side, leading out to the busy street, and handed them both menus before disappearing again.

Luffy beamed at the hostess and nodded in thanks as he settled into the booth. He picked up a menu and flipped through it. "It all looks so yummy…" he murmured, drooling a bit.

Zoro watched him warily, sighing, before flipping through the menu himself.

"Oh oh!" Luffy got on his knees in his seat so he could lean across the table and pull down Zoro's menu, pointing at the large pepperoni pizza on it. "Can we get this? The really big pepperoni pizza? I like pepperoni!" he babbled.

Zoro blinked up at him, but nodded. "Yeah, all right. Sounds fine."

"Yosh!" Luffy cheered, clearly happy about this.

So they ordered the pepperoni pizza and there was much glee on Luffy's part. Then they ate the pizza, and there was more glee on Luffy's part. As a matter-of-fact there was so much glee on Luffy's part he succeeded in knocking over his drink and somehow splashing it all over the nice waitress. She wasn't too happy about getting Pepsi all over her shirt, and she expressed this fact by giving the two high-schoolers dirty looks every time she passed.

Eventually it was decided that they should probably leave if they wished to keep their skulls intact without any pizza cutting utensils jammed into them, so the two ate quickly (even faster for Luffy's speed, which was quite amazing to watch) and went home.

---

**To be continued…**

_Yes, I know it's short. I'm sorry! It was just a good place to leave off! And I won't be able to update again until I come back from camping, I'm really sorry! _

Um…reviews!

**KuroKame: **_I envy him too. I wish I had a voice in my head. ;; It's still hard to believe this a role-play? Wow, that's good. Yes it is. _

**Dark Angel Kira: **_Wow, a compliment from Spike. I feel special. _

**Mai Hayami: **_Eeep! I'd better fix that. We have potential? Um…yay! _

**KairiQueen: **_I do not spout off sarcasm in every conversation. Shut up. And the italics not my fault, messes the chapter up on it's own. I'll have only two words formatted, then I'll edit something and save the edits and an entire paragraph will suddenly be in italics. So it's not my fault. And I'm sure all kinds of questions were on the test…I just didn't feel like writing them. And as for how he passed, it was because the voice told him the answers. And yes, that scene would be good…without the spoons and monkeys. I have no idea where you got that. And the Spongebob Squarepants thing rules. _

**Griever5: **_Yes, he is more hyper. Cause he's a morning person. Yeah. _

**Raikou Ikazuchi: **_Wow, you're that addicted to this fic? O.o Um…wow. I feel special. And Luffy doesn't have a Yami. Or maybe he does. Or maybe he doesn't. You'll see! _

**IcySapphire15: **_It does deserve to burn. Yes it does. Except for my school, because my school is cool. _

**poxmaker: **_I call you dudes because I call everyone dudes. Just because. As for the sisters…well, what do you think? And it's good that you like school. I like it too, just not the work it comes with. _

**eclipse-moon: **_Wow, you imagine at night what will happen next? Um…wow. I'm flattered…hope you can get some sleep now. _

**AlibisDragon: **_Well…I hope you liked this chapter! _

**Griffingurl: **_Smoker at school would be weird. I mean, he's like…thirty or so. Kinda old for high school… _

**Hasuko: **_No, don't stop reviewing! The next chapter will be longer, I promise! _

**Xeora: **_Woot, plushie! There, I updated. Gimme something good! _

**Kai: **_Wow…you stayed up until four reading this fic? Um…wow. _

**Katiiey: **_Congratulations, captain obvious. _

**WhiteTigeress666: **_Heh, I'm glad last chapter amused you. I hope this chapter did the same. _

**Lamia Metisou: **_Um…oh my… _

**Next chapter: **_Will actually be longer than this one, I promise! Anyway, the entire house seems to be conspiring against Zoro…what are they planning? And Robin has a little something for Luffy…_


	17. Secret Plans and Pirate Treasure

**-Tangled Web-  
A role-play/joint-fic by Digitaldreamer and Constable Remington  
Chapter Seventeen: Secret Plans and Pirate Treasure **

_Woot, I'm back from camping. Ummm…huzzah? Yes, I know you're thrilled. No, you're not really. But I'm sure you're thrilled that there's finally a new TW chapter, right? Right? _

_Yeah yeah, I'm just kidding myself._

_For those of you whom care, Noelle and I made LiveJournals for Luffy and Zoro in TW. Zoro's is santoryuu, and Luffy's is Luffy, only with underscores between each letter. Enjoy them, though I'm not sure we'll update them very often._

_Um..yes. Go on and read, my little buffalos!_

**_--- _**

"I swear," Zoro muttered as he ushered Luffy into the door. "It's like I can't take you anywhere." Still, he was grinning, amused with the tiny adventure. At least none of it had gotten on him.

"It wasn't _my_ fault!" Luffy insisted as he came inside, scratching his head. "The Pepsi moved so I would hit it or…something!"

"Sure, sure," Zoro answered, reaching up to ruffle his hair. "You should get some sleep. First day of school tomorrow and everything..."

Luffy pouted. "But Zoro, it's still light outside! We only had lunch a few hours ago!" He pointed out, folding his arms.

The man sighed. "So trying to get you to nap isn't going to work." He grinned some. "Alright, alright." He shuffled into the living room, lying the bag with Luffy's uniform in it across the couch and flopping down beside it.

"Yosh!" Luffy cheered, bounding into the living room and hopping onto Zoro's lap. "I'm sitting here!" He declared with a grin.

"You're--" Zoro stared down at the boy in his lap, eyes slightly wide, a blush over his cheeks. "...wonderful. Just don't let anyone see you, I guess."

And of course, since Zoro had said that fate felt the need to ensure someone witnessed Luffy sitting on Zoro's lap. Thus, Nami chose that exact moment to remember that she left her magazine in the living room and enter.

She paused at the doorway, blinking. Then a large grin spread across her face. "Well, well, looks like _someone _got a little close while they were out?"

Zoro just stared at her with steady, level eyes. A strong arm wrapped itself around Luffy's waist, pulling him into Zoro's chest. "That's right," he remarked coolly. "You have a problem?"

Getting angry hadn't worked. Zoro would just take a new approach.

Nami's grin widened considerably as she stepped into the room, snatching her magazine from one of the chairs before plopping into it. "Oh, not at all. Not at all. I'm glad you've finally accepted your gay side Zoro, it was getting a bit frustrating trying to get you out of denial." She said cheerfully.

Luffy was oblivious to this entire conversation, he had discovered the remote and was currently flipping through channels at warp speed. Who cared if anything was actually _on_ TV? Pressing the buttons was fun!

Nami could think what she wanted. Zoro was too busy staring at Luffy. "Kid, you're giving me a headache," he remarked dully, pulling the remote away from the boy's fingers.

"Awwww…" Luffy's face fell as he whined, making a mad grab for the remote so he could continue his pressing of the buttons. Then he noticed that Cardcaptor Sakura seemed to be on again, so he relaxed in the older man's arms with his eyes completely glued to the screen.

Then Usopp rushed in, waving a DVD case in the air. "Yes! My Naruto DVD _finally_ came in!" He cheered, rushing over to the TV set and switching it so he could use the DVD player.

"Hey! I was watching Sakura!" Luffy cried, waving his arms.

Usopp rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on Luffy, you already saw that episode." He said as he turned around, eyes suddenly widening as he noted where Luffy was sitting. "Zoro…Luffy…whaaaa?"

Luffy was apparently oblivious to Usopp's shock as he continued to pout. "I don't care! I wanna watch it again!" He declared, folding his arms and looking quite a bit like a little kid.

Zoro sighed, then stared up at Usopp with eyes that clearly read death. "I know where you sleep," he remarked lowly, before looking to Luffy. "C'mon, let Usopp watch his show, he's been waiting to see it or whatever." Zoro didn't really care, but he didn't want to sit through another episode of Cardcaptor Sakura.

Usopp yelped, immediately turning back to the DVD player and popping his beloved disk into it. "Y-you'll like it Luffy! It's about NINJAS!"

Luffy immediately perked up. "NINJAS? SO COOL!" he cried, voice filled with awe.

The long-nosed teen nodded in agreement, selecting "play all" and flopping down on the floor with his back against the couch leg.

Meanwhile, Nami happened to notice the bag with Luffy's school uniform and grabbed it. She whipped out the uniform and held it in front of her, frowning. "Awww, you didn't get him the girl's one?"

"Please, he's a boy," Zoro replied pointedly. "Besides, they would have kicked him out of school for wearing the girl's uniform."

Nami pouted. "So what? He'd look cuter in the girl's uniform!" She declared. "Besides, we all know you know you love it." She added with a mischievous grin.

Zoro just scoffed. "Whatever," he answered lowly. As long as he could keep his temper in control and act as if it didn't bother him, maybe Nami would leave him alone about the damn thing.

Nami cackled, having no other comments on the matter as she stuffed the uniform back into the bag.

"So cool…" Luffy mumbled, eyes glued to the screen. Apparently he was so absorbed by the amazing-ness that was Naruto that he'd missed the short conversation.

Zoro sighed. He didn't really think it was that great.

Vivi peered in from the kitchen, and, seeing that Zoro and Luffy had gotten home, grinned to herself. Now was perfect! "Roronoa-san," her soft voice called, and Zoro quickly looked up.

"Yeah?"

Stepping into the living room, Vivi leaned against the doorframe. "Would you mind terribly to go and take out the trash?"

"Oh..." Zoro grabbed Luffy's middle and scooted him over on the couch. "Nah, that's fine." He stood, moving past the TV and out into the kitchen, then, after a few moments, Vivi heard the sound of the screen door open and close and she was convinced that Zoro was outside. She quickly moved into the room, grinning.

"Everyone, I don't know if you know, but Zoro's birthday is Tuesday," she explained. "I want to have a surprise party for him. He should have a little fun."

Luffy's attention was immediately diverted from the TV at the sound of the swordsman's name. His eyes widened as he looked at Vivi and bounced on the couch. "Zoro's birthday is on Tuesday?"

At the exact same time both Usopp and Nami turned to stare at the blue-haired girl. "Zoro actually _has_ a birthday?" they both cried at the same time. The swordsman had been at the boarding house for several years, and as far as either knew Zoro never had a birthday.

Vivi nodded. "I found out when the school mailed his semester schedule to him," she said deviously. "He can't keep everything a secret!" She seemed overjoyed with herself. "So of course, I think he would be surprised if we were to do something special."

The orange-haired girl grinned, nodding in approval. "You read this in his mail? Wow Vivi, I'm impressed. And here I thought you weren't capable of snooping. It seems there's hope for you yet!" she said brightly.

"Yosh! Surprise party for Zoro!" Luffy cheered, bouncing up and down on the couch.

Usopp punched his fist into the air. "Woot! Party!" Then he frowned. "But this is Zoro we're talking about. Would he really want a party?"

Nami rolled her eyes. "He'll love it. Besides, someone's gotta force the anti-social moron to be social with someone other than Luffy for once in his life."

"Surprise party for Zoro! YOSH!" Luffy continued to cheer, doing some sort of odd dance.

Zoro, meanwhile, had taken the trash out into the alleyway, tossing the bag into the large metal dumpster beside the house. He was beginning to head back in when he heard the sound of a footstep behind him and he froze. He was not alone.

"Roronoa Zoro?" A cheery, female voice came from behind the swordsman.

"That's me," Zoro said quietly, not turning around. "And who are you?"

"Miss Valentine's Day," the voice replied with a laugh. "I don't suppose you'll get around to actually turning around to face one of your superiors any time soon?"

He quickly rounded on her, eyes taking her in fully, careful to watch her every move. He didn't trust anyone the damn company sent to him.

She smirked at him, twirling her umbrella over her shoulder as she watched him through light blue eyes. "So…you're one of Saga Corp's greatest mercenaries? The demon, Roronoa Zoro?" She grinned. "I can see why they like you. Shame you're not a full Baroque Works agent, I'm sure the boss would have far better jobs for you than these simple missions."

The woman giggled, playing with one of her orange slice earrings. "But you're just high on the food chain of Saga's company...such a shame that we own them now, ne?" she murmured, checking the top of one of the trashcans to ensure it wasn't too dirty before seating herself upon it.

He rolled his eyes. Zoro didn't want to be any further into this than he already was unless it meant helping to fulfill his dream -- but Baroque Works had nothing to do with defeating Mihawk, and that was final. "I'm only in this for the money," he answered gruffly. "I don't want fame. Not this way."

Miss Valentines Day stared at him for a moment before rolling her eyes and kicking her heels in the air as she spoke. "Just for the money? Oh, you're no fun!" she huffed.

"...And the joy of the kill," he added with a strange sort of grin. Zoro's eyes flashed, only for a second, with an insatiable fire, before they quelled. "So what do they want me to do now?"

The blonde smiled at this, reaching up under her hat and pulling out a small envelope. She handed it to Zoro, shaking her head. "Just a body guard mission this time. Lucky you, you get to escort an ugly man to some out-of-the-way warehouse and make sure no one tries to take his ugly, sadly important head."

The man sighed, snatching the envelope away and tucking it into his pocket. "I told them not to give me these shitty missions any more," he murmured. "I hope someone does try to come after the guy."

Miss Valentine's Day laughed again. "Well, we'll see now won't we?" she said, hopping off of the trashcan and dusting off her skirt. "Now then, if you'll excuse me, I have other things to get to," she said with a cheery wave, heading out of the alleyway.

Zoro grunted a reply and stepped quickly back into the house.

The moment Zoro re-entered the living room Luffy had tackled him at the waist, babbling happily. At the same moment Usopp stopped cheering and Nami's eyes widened considerably.

Zoro blinked down at Luffy, trying to shake him off. "What's your deal?" he asked, an eyebrow raised.

Luffy grinned. "WE'RE GONNA HAVE A-"

Nami was instantly out of her chair and across the room, covering Luffy's mouth and attempting to tug him off of the swordsman. "-A…um…Naruto…watching party!" The orange-haired senior finished, laughing nervously before shooting a death glare at Luffy.

"Y-yeah! L-Luffy's really excited about it because he…um…thinks it'll teach him to become a ninja! W-wanna watch it with us?" Usopp stuttered as he rushed over and added to the effort of attempting to remove Luffy from Zoro's waist.

Vivi laughed a little. Luffy really didn't understand the meaning of "surprise". Zoro, however, was confused.

"Ah... whatever, I'll watch." He shrugged. "There's nothing else to do."

Nami frowned. No, that wouldn't work either. They still had to plan things! But it wasn't like she could just tell Zoro to leave after Usopp had asked him to stay. Stupid Usopp.

"Yosh! Naruto watching party!" Luffy cheered, releasing Zoro.

"Y-yeah! Naruto watching party…yes!" Nami said with a half-hearted laugh. "Um..I'll go make some popcorn! Come on Luffy, Usopp, Vivi you three can help!" She said, grabbing both boys by the ears and yanking them into the kitchen before they could protest.

Zoro raised an eyebrow as the group all left into the kitchen, but he just sighed and lounged on the couch, grabbing the remote and flipping to an action channel.

"Nami! I wanna watch Naruto!" Luffy whined.

"Yeah Nami, what's the big idea?" Usopp demanded, tapping his foot.

The orange-haired senior glared at them both. "Alright, first of all. This a SURPRISE party!" she hissed, glaring at Luffy.

"I know!" Luffy cried, waving his arms.

"Then why were you just about to tell him?"

"…You mean I wasn't supposed to?"

"NO!"

"…Oh." Luffy blinked.

Nami sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Look Luffy, this is a surprise party. That means Zoro can't know about it, alright? That way, when he walks into it he'll be hopefully happily surprised."

"Actually, he's more likely to be tempted to slice everything to bits if it's a very large party," Usopp commented, but Nami just glared at him.

"So we'll do it on Tuesday..." Vivi frowned. "Luffy, maybe you could get him to stay away from the house after school long enough for us to get everything ready?"

Luffy nodded, grinning. "Yeah, sure! We can go to the park or something, it'll be fun!"

Usopp grinned as well. "Great! And while you're gone we'll do the decorations and stuff!"

Nami smiled. "I'm sure we can work together to get Sanji-kun to bake a cake," she said, glancing at Vivi.

"Of course!" Vivi smiled. "He should be home from work soon, I think, so we'll ask him, then."

The orange-haired senior smiled, clapping her hands together. "Okay then! I think we're set."

"YOSH! This is going to be the best party ever!" Luffy cheered, doing a sort of dance around the kitchen. Then suddenly his eyes widened. "ACK! This is in two days? I GOTTA GET ZORO A PRESENT!" He cried, running around and waving his arms.

Usopp laughed. "That's right! Won't it be kind of hard? I mean, from the looks of things you two haven't really been apart for longer than a few minutes since Thursday."

Luffy stuck his tongue out at him. "I'll find a way to get him a present in secret! It'll be the best birthday present _ever_, too!"

"Whatever you say," Usopp said, shaking his head. "Just don't tip him off while trying to get away from him to make or buy something, ne?"

The boy blinked. "'Tip him off'?" He repeated.

Nami sighed. "Don't let him know we're throwing him a party. It's a surprise, remember?" She walked over to Luffy, looking him in the eyes and waving her finger in front of his nose. "Now listen to me Luffy. You _cannot_ tell Zoro about this party, not one thing! The smallest thing could tip him off, so promise me you won't tell him one single thing?"

Luffy blinked again, then beamed. "I promise!"

"Good." Nami sighed.

"Who are we not telling anything about?" came a deep voice from outside the screen door, and Sanji swung in, cigarette in his mouth, looking devious.

Vivi looked up and waved enthusiastically. "Welcome home, Sanji-san! We were just talking about--" her voice took a quieter tone, and the blonde man leaned in to better hear it. "Zoro's birthday. It's Tuesday, so we're throwing a surprise party for him."

Sanji blinked, eyes widening. "Whaaat? You mean the Marimo HAS a birthday!" Sanji was confused. This meant the idiot had parents, which meant he had a childhood. Sanji wasn't sure why he found the idea simultaneously hilarious and mortifying.

"Nami-san and I were hoping you could make a cake," Vivi suggested.

Sanji made a face. On one hand, it was a cake for the Marimo. On the other, it was a favour for Nami-san and Vivi-chan.

Decisions, decisions.

But Sanji looked over Nami's face, and Vivi's pleading eyes, and he exploded into a frenzy that involved him dancing around the kitchen in glee.

"ANYTHING FOR MY MELLORINE!" he shouted happily, arms waving pathetically in the air.

Nami beamed, clasping her hands just beneath her chin. "Oh! Thank you Sanji-kun!"

Luffy blinked, cocking his head to the side as he watched Sanji dance. He didn't get it, really. But oh well! Zoro's birthday was on Tuesday and they were gonna have a party and now there would definitely be cake and it was going to be the best birthday party EVER!

…Now the boy would just have to come up with a present to get the swordsman…

…..This could be harder than he thought.

Ah well, he would think of something. Not only would he think of something, that something would be the best birthday present EVER!

With this thought Luffy cheered and began dancing around the kitchen as well. "This is gonna be the best party ever! Zoro will love it!" he cried happily.

"Yosh!" Usopp agreed, punching his fist into the air as he gave in to his excitement and joined Luffy in his dance.

It certainly would have been an interesting scene for anyone to walk in on, that was for sure.

"Don't tell me you guys are actually trying to build a fire to cook over in there," Zoro called from the living room. "The hell is taking so long!"

Luffy opened his mouth, about to tell the truth, but he managed to stop himself by covering his own mouth. Meanwhile, Usopp quickly spun a tale.

"O-of course not! We just…um…the cabinet came alive and ate the bag we got out, we're getting more now!" He declared.

Nami sighed, shaking her head. Why did she live with these crazies again? Oh yeah, it cost less money. "Luffy broke the first bag of popcorn we got out!" She laughed nervously, whacking Luffy over the head. He yelped, holding his head and glaring at her as she continued to speak.

"Stupid Luffy! We just finished cleaning up and we're just getting another bag! It shouldn't be much longer!" She laughed again, digging out another bag of popcorn.

Zoro sighed, standing from the couch. He didn't like this part of the action movie, anyway -- why did the star always have to get so cheesy and romantic with his counterpart?

Irritating.

He moved into the kitchen, raising an eyebrow. "And I'm really supposed to believe it takes all of you to make a bag of popcorn."

Nami nodded quickly, grinning nervously. "Of course it does. Because…um…"

"Because we wanted to show Luffy the magic of the microwave!" Usopp finished for her, popping open the microwave. Luffy gasped in amazement.

Nami blinked at him. "…'The magic of the microwave'?" she repeated.

Usopp nodded. "Well, yeah. Because he…um…forgot what they were. What with the amnesia and all."

Luffy blinked. "I did?" Usopp and Nami glared at him. "I mean…yeah! Wow, so cool!" he cried, trying and failing to look amazed by the microwave.

Zoro wasn't convinced, but didn't care. He noticed that Sanji was home, but he said nothing, instead turning with a grunt and heading back towards the living room.

Weirdos.

Usopp and Nami stared after him for a moment, then both sighed in relief. Luffy just stood there, blinking for a few seconds before speaking.

"Do we get popcorn now?"

Nami nodded, opening the package and putting it into the microwave. She pressed the button and then turned back to Usopp.

"Well, this is great. Now he'll be suspicious," Usopp muttered.

"It's not like you were being very secretive about it," Nami replied. "We need to do something to distract him and make him conveniently forget this weirdness…a distraction of some sort…"

Both looked at Luffy, whom was drooling at the bag of popcorn in the microwave.

Usopp immediately wildly pointed towards the living room. "LOOK LUFFY! Zoro has something shiny! Go hug him and maybe he'll give it to you!"

Luffy turned to stare at Usopp with wide eyes for a moment before charging into the living room. With the battle cry of "SHINY!", he tackled the swordsman, arms latching around his waist.

Zoro cried out in an 'oof!' as Luffy hit him, his back hitting tight against the couch. "What the hell!" he cried, eyes wide.

The boy grinned up at Zoro, arms still tight around his waist. "Usopp says you have something shiny!"

Making a face, Zoro reached up to push his hand into the pocket, recovering a few lightweight, silver coins. "What, you want these?"

Luffy nodded, pulling one of his arms away from Zoro's waist so he could hold out his hand. "Shiny!" he repeated, still grinning.

Zoro sighed. Usopp had probably just wanted Luffy to leave them alone. Dumping the coins into Luffy's hand, he rustled the boy's hair.

"Yay! I have shiny stuff from Zoro!" Luffy cheered, jingling the coins. "I'll treasure em' forever and ever and ever!" Then he gasped. "They could be my pirate treasure!"

Scoffing a little, Zoro nodded. "Alright, sure. Your pirate treasure." He didn't mind parting with the coins. It wasn't even enough to buy a soda from a vending machine.

Luffy beamed. "Yosh! I have pirate treasure!" he cheered, squeezing Zoro's waist. He watched the swordsman for a few moments before scooching himself forward a bit. He then planted a quick peck on the older man's cheek. "Thank you Zoro!"

Shocked, Zoro pulled away a bit, staring at him. Luffy had obviously found nothing wrong with that, and Zoro just looked away. "Yeah, you're welcome."

The boy just continued to grin, sitting up and punching his fists into the air. "WOOT! I've got pirate treasure!"

"Pirate treasure, hm?" Robin spoke from the doorway, leaning against the frame.

Luffy turned so he could grin and wave at her over the back of the couch. "Oh, hi Robin! Yup, Zoro gave me pirate treasure!" He said, displaying his coins for her to see.

Robin glanced down at the coins before chuckling. "I see. I don't suppose you'd like to add anything to your 'treasure'?" She asked, walking into the room with her hands behind her back.

The boy gasped, bouncing up and down on Zoro's stomach now. "You got me more treasure?"

The woman laughed again. "Well, I suppose if one wanted to call it that…" She withdrew an old, battered and worn straw hat. The edges were a bit mangled and messy, and the red ribbon was faded and a bit frayed. Clearly it had been through a lot before arriving in the hands of Nico Robin.

Luffy's eyes widened. "Wow! A hat! How cool!" he cried, reaching out to snatch it from her hands and place it on his head. He turned to Zoro, grinning from ear to ear. "Look Zoro! Isn't it cool?"

Zoro watched Robin with a cool gaze, wondering how long she had been there. At the presentation of the hat however, he raised an eyebrow, making a face at Luffy.

"It's..." he paused. "Weird." Zoro looked up at Robin. "Where did you get something like that? It looks like a piece of junk."

"It is NOT a piece of junk, it's my treasure!" Luffy immediately protested, sticking out his tongue.

Robin chuckled. "It is rather beat up, isn't it? I was out of town today and I found it in the park where I stopped. I probably should have just left it or thrown it away, but I felt as if it belonged somewhere. So I brought it home and decided to give it to you."

Luffy smiled, taking off the hat and looking down at it. Robin was right, it did just have a feeling to it, like it belonged to someone important and was meant to be treasured. It just gave off this aura, a feeling of warmth and comfort, love and pride. Like whoever owned it was with him simply through the raggedy hat. And whoever the owner was, they were watching him.

_"Shanks? You're giving me your old hat?" _

There was warm laughter, and a large hand reached down to ruffle his hair. "Yeah. Ben and I have to go away for awhile, so I figured I'd leave this with you until I get back so you don't miss me so much. So, you take good care of it and you'd better give it back when I come back, you hear?"

"…How long are you gonna be gone?"

"Don't know. Just think of this hat as a way for me to always be with you, alright? I'm always watching you, so stick with Ace and don't let old Kuro kick you around, okay?"

More laughter. "Okay! I'll take care of it for you!"

Distantly there was the thought that he shouldn't keep the hat, whoever its owner was must have loved it very much. But it just felt so right in his hands, so perfect. Almost as if its former owner were telling him "It's okay, it's yours now."

Luffy laughed again, placing the hat back on his head. "I'll take good care of it!"

Zoro made a bit of a face, but the longer he looked at Luffy in the ridiculous hat, the more the image grew on him. "Yeah, alright," he remarked faintly. "It suits you, anyway." He grinned. "You're both weird."

Once again Luffy continued to laugh, patting the hat. "And proud of it!" he chirped, beaming down at Zoro.

---

**To be continued… **

_Well, wasn't that fluffy? I hope the return of the hat has made a few people happy, as it has certainly brightened my day! _

Um…reviews!

**KairiQueen:** _Well, I hope you liked what Robin gave Luffy! And I like the kissing too…they should kiss more often. _

**Kai:** _Um…was that enough fluff for you? _

**goggle head girl:** _Well hey, at least you're not as rabid as them, ne? _

**Mai Hayami:** _Hmmm…probably not all of the One Piece characters, but quite a few I'd imagine. We'll see how things go. I'm sorry I update too fast. _

**Angel of the Mirror:** _Heh, you read this while your friend was sleeping over? Hope you didn't wake her… _

**AlibisDragon:** _Smart or cruel? The world may never know. _

**poxmaker:** _Well, I suppose it depends on the person ne? Luffy and Zoro don't like having their spines crushed. As for the person in Luffy's head, people have been referring to it as a Yami because that's what their guess is. A Yami is a term from YuuGiOh, basically the darker half of your personality. I'm not saying that it is a Yami, and I'm not saying it isn't. Nor will I say if it's an experiment of the corporation or not, maybe it is, maybe it isn't. I'm happy people are guessing, but I'm not going to tell anyone if they're right or not. After all, that would be telling. _

**KuroKame:** _Yes, those girls are scary. I think everyone knows a few people like them…scaaary. _

**MeraNova:** _Right, the comfier the better!_

**Pink Feline:** _Fun and interesting reading, eh? Glad you think it is. I'll definitely keep the chapters coming if people keep reading and reviewing. _

**Dark Angel Kira: **_Bed time story, eh? Um..well, that's good…I guess… _

**Katiiey:** _Thank you. _

**Miya:** _Heh. I was going to have the girls do that, actually, but they had done enough costumer harassment as it was. I don't think they wanted to be sued. _

**Raikou Ikazuchi: **_Well, I would have Smoker as a teacher and Ace as his assistant, (Damnit, that's such a great idea too) but we've already got roles for them all set up, and I'm afraid neither of them shall be in the school. How sad. _

**Xeora: **_**Sweet!** Too bad your gifts aren't real, I would have so much fun with them. _

**Icy Sapphire15:** _Oh yes, Luffy can eat even faster. He can eat faster than the speed of light if he wants to! _

**Love is for Fools:** _I want to meet the shop girls too, they amuse me. _

**WhiteTigeress666:** _Zoro and Luffy kissing should be a new form of currency. Ten kisses for a candy bar. _

**queen of the world:** _Yes, he does have a special dance for everything. XP Yosh! Now I can choose the flavor? Awesome! I choose blue raspberry! _

**YuugiLover3:** _Oh don't worry about not reviewing! I'm happy whenever you review, even if you miss a chapter or two! _

**Griffingurl:** _Yus, Luffy does indeed have a dance for everything. He's special like that. _

**Hasuko:** _You're right, those girls would make very interesting torture devices…hmmm…forget the rack; they'd work so much better. _

**Firebirdy:** _Wow, your first time reading an OP AU? Glad ours could be the one to introduce you, I suppose. You check back everyday? Wow, I feel special. As for it becoming steamy, well, we'll see. _

**twilights-aura:** _There you go, I updated for you! _

**Akuma Memento Mori:** _Yes, girls are scary. Yes they are. _

**LoOkYiTsSpAm:** _Heh, ZoLu stories are my favorite too. I was sad there weren't very many here, which is the main reason why I posted this. There's a bit too much ZoSan for my liking, personally. As for Luffy's fighting, you'll get that really soon! _

**TreeStar:** _Luffy isn't into cross-dressing. But he's not not into it either. He just doesn't care, really. As long as the skirt is comfortable, he wouldn't care. _

And not everyone is so accepting of Zoro and Luffy being together. So far, we've just met some quirky characters. There are others that won't be so happy about it, just wait on it. And the girls don't make everyone who comes in kiss, just the really cute guys whom they already suspect of such things. They're fangirls basically, let them be. And Zoro's not exactly happy with people constantly making assumptions about his personal life, in case you haven't noticed. He's just gotten to the point where he's sick of arguing, because no matter what he says it just seems to fuel the fire in this case.

**koku-kirin:** _Wow, we reeled someone in with our review number? Um…wow. Well, glad you like the fic! _

**Next Chapter:** _House-hold wide game of hide-and-go-seek, ready set go! Luffy seems to believe that he's an ESPN ninja. What is an ESPN ninja? Read to find out!  
_


	18. ESPN Ninja

**-Tangled Web-  
A role-play/joint-fic by Digitaldreamer and Constable Remington  
Chapter Eighteen: ESPN Ninja! **

_Crys needs sleep. And the new Harry Potter book. Yes… _

_Um, yeah. This chapter is pretty much nothing but thirteen pages of fluff. It was a lot of fun to role-play though, so hopefully it'll be just as much fun to read._

_Um…enjoy?_

_**--- **_

Robin just chuckled again, shaking her head as she turned to leave. "If you'll excuse me, I have lesson plans to make." She said just before stepping out of the room.

Watching her leave, Zoro sighed. He placed an arm suddenly around Luffy's shoulders, drawing the boy close into his chest. He focused back on the action movie -- the hero was just getting revenge for his dead girlfriend or something equally trite and cliché. Still, the action was good.

Luffy smiled, leaning his head against the swordsman's chest as he watched the movie, transfixed. He really had no idea what was going on, but who cared? It was the violence poisoning his young mind that was important!

It was then that Nami entered, carrying two large bowls of popcorn. "Okay guys, we made a few bags because we knew if we just made one it'd be gone in seconds with Luffy. So-" She stopped as she took in the scene before her, blinking.

Goddamnit, why couldn't she have carried her camera with her for taking adorable snapshots like this one for potential blackmail? Hell, even if she couldn't have used it for blackmail she was sure there were shonen ai fangirls somewhere online who would pay for a photo like this. Why did she not have her camera?

Zoro raised an eyebrow up at her as Vivi trotted in after her. Perhaps reading the red-head girl's mind, Zoro's arm fell away from Luffy's warm body, though he made no move to push the boy from his lap. "Well, let's get this over with," he said with a sigh.

Nami glared at the swordsman for a moment, quite aware that he had only moved his arm because she was there. She gave him a look that said "You're-still-in-denial-and-I-know-it" before laughing and walking over to the two, depositing the largest bowl of popcorn in Luffy's lap.

Luffy's eyes widened. "POPCORN!" He cried happily, grabbing a fistful of the warm popcorn and cramming it into his mouth.

Nami rolled her eyes, whacking Luffy lightly over the head. "That's for Zoro too, don't hog it all!" She snapped. Luffy continued to snack, oblivious to Nami's hopeless sigh.

Usopp paraded in, carrying his own bowl of popcorn. The long-nosed teen got his own bowl because he preferred to practically drown his popcorn in salt and no one else could stand to eat it because it was so salty. "Yosh! Naruto time!" He declared, changing the TV back to the DVD.

"Yosh! Ninja's!" Luffy cheered.

"I was watching that," Zoro objected, but he didn't really care all that much. Boredly taking some popcorn, Zoro sighed and sat back. Well, he had said he would watch -- and even if he didn't want to, it hardly mattered now, because there was no way Luffy would get off him.

Instead, Zoro decided he would just take this time to get a well-deserved nap. Laying his head back against the soft cushions of the couch, Zoro passed out...

...Only to wake up a few hours later to a certain irritating blonde's shouts of dinner time, and the smell of spicy baked fish and rice wafting in from the kitchen.

Luffy's attention was finally diverted from mad ninja action by the mention of food. He immediately hopped off of Zoro's lap and charged into the kitchen with the cry of "FOOD!"

Usopp glanced up and grinned, quickly pressing the pause button on the DVD player and running out of the living room after Luffy. "Oi! No eating Captain Usopp-sama's food this time!" He cried.

Nami glanced up from her magazine before standing and stretching. She glanced back at Zoro. "You might want to get up before your lover eats everything." She said in a teasing voice before heading into the kitchen as well.

Mumbling a half-asleep caustic reply, Zoro stretched lazily, yawning, before he finally got off the couch and stumbled into the kitchen. He sat at his plate, quickly eating as Sanji dished out food to him.

Luffy was of course inhaling his food as usual, while everyone else kept their plates as far away as possible. It seemed they were beginning to understand that if they didn't guard their plates, their food would be inhaled.

"ROAR! Fish stealing no jutsu!"

"Luffy, that was mine!"

"Not anymore! I used my mad ninja skills to steal it!"

"GIVE IT BACK!"

"No!"

"DAMNIT!"

Chaos seemed to be becoming the norm in this boarding house…

Sanji hadn't even been stupid enough to sit at the table, instead standing and holding his plate as he leaned against the wall to eat. Zoro finished quickly, taking and dropping his plate into the sink.

Luffy finally finished eating his own food along with bits of everyone else's. He beamed, hopping out of his chair and rushing over the sink. He dropped his plate into the sink with a loud CLANG, still beaming. He then glanced towards those remaining at the table and cocked his head to the side, frowning.

"Where's Robin?"

Nami blinked. "Robin? She's eating in her room tonight because she's busy."

Luffy pouted. "Awww, darn… Then she can't play the game with the rest of us!"

Both Nami and Usopp stared blankly at the boy. "…What game?"

Luffy crossed his arms with a grin. "Tag! With everyone in the house!" He declared.

Nami stared at him. "Um….when did we say we were going to play tag?"

The boy grinned. "You didn't, I just decided!"

Sanji leaned in towards the sink, making sure the plate hadn't cracked or shattered. Making a face, he sighed.

"I have to clean up this kitchen, you know," he pointed out.

Zoro was watching Luffy with some cross between amusement and uncertainty.

"We're bound to break something if we play tag in here."

"Why not hide and go seek instead?" Vivi suggested, with a laugh.

"Hide and go seek? Okay!" Luffy clapped his hands, bouncing up and down with excitement.

Nami leaned on her hands, twirling a lock of orange around her finger. "Well…I guess I could play one game."

"The Great Usopp-sama is the best at Hide and Go Seek!" Usopp declared, posing.

"..Usopp, you're always one of the first ones found." Nami pointed out.

"YOU LIE! You just weren't there to see my amazing game back in my hometown! I was known for my amazing hiding skills, it would take those foolish people _days_ to find me! Not only that, but when I was it I would find everyone within seconds! Yes, and after the time when they couldn't find me for an entire week they gave up. And they called me…The Great Hide-and-Go-Seek MASTER Usopp-sama!" Usopp ranted, striking random poses.

Luffy gasped in amazement. "Really? AWESOME!"

Nami just shook her head and sighed.

Massaging his forehead with his fingers, Zoro echoed Nami's sigh of annoyance.

"I'll be it," he finally muttered. "But you all have to stay on the first floor."

"Yosh! Zoro's it!" Luffy cheered, jumping up and down and doing an odd dance.

Nami snapped her fingers. "Darn. And here I was planning on hiding someplace that you'd never be able to look." She said, a bit of sarcasm in her tone. "No, not really. But thanks to you I can't hide where I was planning." She laughed. "Oh well."

"That's fine! The Great Hide-and-Go-Seek Master Usopp-sama can find a good hiding place anywhere!" Usopp declared.

Luffy stopped dancing. "Is Vivi gonna play? Huh, huh?" He asked, looking at Vivi with wide eyes as he began to jump again.

"Sure," Vivi responded, trying to think of a good place. She had never really played this game before...

"Alright, alright. I'm going to count to... fifty." Zoro leaned against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest in an attempt to get comfortable.

"That's as high as he can count," Sanji explained, and Zoro's eyes shot back up in a glare.

"I'm going to count to fifty," he repeated slowly, eyes of death still on the blonde, who grinned back. After the tense moment between the two had passed, Zoro finally broke away to shut his eyes and began to count.

Nami and Usopp both wordlessly bolted out of the room.

"WHOO!" Luffy cheered, following them. "No peeking, Zoro!" He called behind him with a laugh.

Vivi quickly followed him, and Zoro frowned, pausing for a moment before continuing to count.

"...Fifteen... sixteen..."

Sanji had turned to begin clearing the plates from the table and washing them, ignoring Zoro's voice as it filled the room.

Luffy skidded into the living room, glancing around. Now where should he hide? There were so many good hiding places and not nearly enough time to choose the best one! He could hide in the pantry…except Zoro was in there, so sadly that was out. And he couldn't hide upstairs in Zoro's room since they weren't supposed to go upstairs. That still left plenty of choices though…

Hmm…decisions, decisions.

Meanwhile, Usopp had run into the laundry room. He glanced around, finally spotting a large pile of clothes on the floor. Someone would have to clean that up…but Usopp definitely wouldn't be doing it. With a small laugh he dove into the pile, getting as far beneath it as possible so he was covered in shirts and jeans and socks.

Sure, it smelled, but there couldn't have been a more brilliant hiding place!

Vivi was having a hard time herself, but she finally decided on ducking into the thin space between the couch and the wall, crouching down. She tried to stay completely silent, even holding her breath, hearing Zoro's counting from the other room… almost there...

Nami too had a hard time choosing a hiding place; she hadn't played this game in ages. Eventually she settled for the hallway closet, easing the door open. She slipped inside, and then quietly shut it, hoping Zoro wouldn't hear it.

Luffy was still searching for a hiding place, growing a bit worried. Why couldn't he find a good one? He ducked under the coffee table, and then bumped his head on it. He gave a small squeak, rubbing his head as he crawled back out and continued his search.

Zoro had finished his counting, and he sighed, pushing himself off the wall and running a hand through his hair. "Alright," he called, and then, smirking a little, added, "Ready or not, here I come."

Luffy's eyes widened and he gulped, rushing into the closest room he could think of…the rec. room.

It was a fairly large room with some nice furniture, an aged pool table, a newer looking air hockey table, and a small TV with a few old video game systems hooked to it. There was a large, sliding glass door that led outside, and hanging in front of it were some very large curtains.

Luffy slipped into the room, glancing around wildly. He had to find a hiding place! He made a mad dash for the curtains, slipping behind them and leaning against the glass door as he held his breath.

Heading out into the living room, Zoro looked cautiously around. He thought he'd heard the scampering of footsteps down the hall. Turning, he moved towards the rec. room, swinging the door open and peering around.

Luffy gulped, staying pressed against the glass door. Maybe if he was really quiet Zoro wouldn't notice him…

Zoro grinned. Hunting people was his job; of course he was good at it. The door handle had been warm -- someone had just been in this room. Creeping silently through the dark room, Zoro's acute senses tuned themselves as if he were in battle, listening close for any breathing.

Luffy tried to hold his breath, but he could only hold it for so long. Eventually he let out a gasp, the curtains ruffling as he let out the breath he had been holding. He immediately reached up to cover his mouth, shifting from foot to foot.

A swift arm came up to quickly pull back the curtains, cold, dark eyes seeing Luffy pushed against the glass. Smirking, Zoro pushed forward slightly, his lips hanging close to Luffy's ear.

"Found you," he whispered, in a voice deeper and somehow harsher than his normal one. Luffy's warm breath puffed against his skin, and Zoro felt a soft tinge in his chest that wanted him to push even closer and feel Luffy's warmth against his mouth.

Shocked, Zoro quickly pulled his face away, somehow still maintaining a look of victory through his confused and somewhat disturbed sudden thoughts.

Luffy blinked as Zoro's face came close to his, wide eyes of dark chocolate staring up into eagle-like obsidian. He let out a small gasp of surprise, and then giggled. That mystery feeling was there again, like butterflies fluttering inside of his stomach. He still had no idea what it meant, but he liked it. He liked having Zoro close to him…but somehow it still didn't feel quite close enough, like there could have been something more there. The memory of the accidental kiss from Friday came to mind…

Just as the feeling had come, however, it was gone and Zoro had pulled away. Everything was normal again, they were playing a game and Luffy had just been found.

Darn, that meant he lost again.

Luffy pouted, latching his arms around Zoro's waist. "No fair! You found me way too quickly; you must have ESPN or something!" He whined.

Blinking, Zoro stared down at the boy. "I must have... what?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. It was official -- Luffy was insane.

"ESPN, duh!" Luffy said, as if Zoro should know what it meant. "You sensed my…brain...aura…thing and found me! Or else you're a ninja and you did some ninja move!" He declared.

Pausing for a moment, Zoro suddenly burst into laughter. "Wait, wait, you mean ESP?" he shook his head, still chuckling. "No. I'm just good at finding people who don't want to be found." He paused on this. "Help me find the others."

"Help you find the others? Okay!" Luffy beamed, releasing Zoro's waist. "I'll use my mad ESPN ninja skills!" He said, attempting to do a katana pose and failing miserably.

Zoro watched him with a sigh. Sometimes, he wondered if Luffy heard anything he said. "Alright, let's go." And with that, Zoro had slipped back into the hallway, eyes closely darting around, listening for any noise.

Of course, if there was any noise he didn't hear it, because it was drowned out by Luffy shouting as he charged into the hallway. "NAMI! VIVI! USOPP! WHERE ARE YOU?" He cried at the top of his lungs.

"God damn it, Luffy!" Zoro cried, rushing after him. He quickly snagged an arm around the boy's waist, pulling him to a stop. "That's not how the game works! You have to be quiet and look." He frowned. "Keep pretending you're a ninja."

Luffy blinked up at Zoro in confusion. "But _Naruto _yells like this!" He pointed out.

Staring at him for a moment, Zoro finally let go of him, sighing. "Okay then." Why did he have to have found Luffy first! "But we're not Naruto, so we're going to keep quiet... alright?"

Luffy grinned. "Alright, I'll be stealthy like the ESPN ninja that I am!" He declared, posing.

Nami couldn't help but snicker from inside the closet. Listening to those two interact never got old.

Hearing the displaced noise in the few moments of quiet from Luffy's posing, Zoro's eyes fluttered towards the closet and he traipsed towards it, stopping before the door. Nami's smell of perfume lingered in the air, and he rolled his eyes before swinging the door open. "Found you."

Nami stopped snickering and her jaw dropped. "No fair!" She cried. "How did you know I was here?"

"Zoro has ESPN!" Luffy declared with s laugh.

The orange-haired senior rolled her eyes, stepping out of the closet. "That's ESP, you idiot.

"Right, ESPN… and ninja skills!" Luffy said with a grin.

"Now we just have to find Vivi and Usopp," Zoro thought with a frown. He'd better find Usopp quick -- the idiot would never shut up about it if Zoro found him last.

"YOSH!" Luffy cheered. "I'll go look!" With that, he bounded into the living room. He glanced around for a moment, decided since he didn't see anything right away nothing was in there, and proceeded to rush back into the hallway and run into the living room.

He took a quick glance around and was about to decide that it was empty too when he spotted the pile of dirty clothes on the floor. And in that pile of dirty clothes was Zoro's old blue shirt that he's been wearing for the past few days!

Luffy let out a loud cry of joy and pounced upon the shirt, which brought out a loud cry from the clothing pile.

"ACK! Luffy! GET OFF!"

The boy blinked in confusion. Why were the clothes yelling?

Hearing the shout, Zoro raised an eyebrow and moved into the laundry room, blinking down towards Luffy. "...What's going on here?"

"Get him off of me!" Usopp cried from the clothing pile.

Luffy stared up at Zoro in confusion. "The clothes are talking." He explained.

Zoro rolled his eyes, bending down and scooping Luffy up. "Those aren't the clothes. That's Usopp hiding inside them."

Usopp popped out of the clothes and glared at Luffy, though the effect was ruined by one of Zoro's socks still being on his head. "No fair!"

Luffy laughed. "Wow, it really is Usopp!"

Usopp stood up, picking the sock off of his head and throwing it. "Yes it is! And he would never have found me if it weren't for you!"

Luffy stuck his tongue out. "He would too! I just found you faster because I'm an ESPN ninja!"

"…ESPN has ninja's, now?" Usopp blinked in confusion.

Shaking his head, Zoro quickly set Luffy down. "Don't... just, don't ask," he muttered to Usopp, kicking his own sock back towards the pile. "Anyway... we still need to find Vivi, right, Luffy?"

Luffy nodded, still grinning. "Right!" He then frowned. "Where could she be? I looked in the living room and she wasn't there…"

Without saying a word, Zoro moved from the laundry room and out into the hallway. He frowned, casting a glance around. It was silent. Moving quietly into the living room, he looked around. Catching a glimpse of blue, he grinned, sliding onto the couch and peeking behind it.

"Hi, Vivi."

She looked up at him and laughed a little, before standing from her hiding spot and stretching.

"You found me," she confessed.

"Wow! Vivi really was here!" Luffy cried, rushing into the living room after Zoro. "I guess my mad ESPN ninja skills aren't as amazing as Zoro's…"

"It's ESP, Luffy." Nami said, rolling her eyes.

"You're just jealous cause' I have ESPN and you don't." Luffy declared.

Nami just sighed, shaking her head. "You're certainly happy for someone who lost."

Luffy blinked in confusion. "I lost?"

Usopp nodded. "You were the first one found! Of course, that was to be expected, you were competing against the Hide-and-Go-Seek MASTER!"

Luffy pouted. "I lost. Damn."

"Does that mean I won?" Vivi asked, looking surprised. Zoro nodded some, crossing arms over his chest and settling in the couch.

"Yeah, you won."

"YOSH! Vivi wins!" Luffy cheered, jumping up and down. "Let's play again! Let's play again!"

Nami sighed, shaking her head. "I can't, I have an essay I have to finish writing."

Usopp shook his head as well. "As much as I would love to, I have a comic to photoshop."

Luffy's face fell. "What about you, Vivi?"

She shrugged a little, lowering her head. "I have homework, too," she admitted regrettably. "Maybe you and Zoro can find something to do."

Slightly irked at the implication that he didn't have anything better to do (even though he didn't), Zoro only grunted as Vivi waved, turning to head up the stairs.

"Yeah, we're all busy. Here, enjoy time with your lover!" Nami said brightly, waving as well as she followed Vivi upstairs and pulled Usopp along.

Luffy pouted. "Awww…" He stood there for a few moments sulking, before perking up and rushing over to plop into Zoro's lap. "Zoro, what should we do now? Huh?" He asked, bouncing and down.

Blinking, Zoro sighed. He was used to this energy by now. Pulling his arms around Luffy and holding him still so he's stop bouncing, he just shrugged. "I don't know. What do you want to do?"

The boy shrugged. "I dunno." He frowned, scratching his head. "You think there's anything violent on TV? With big flashy explosions?"

Zoro laughed a bit. "Well, there's one way to find out." He reached for the remote, grabbing it and flipping the TV on.

Amazingly enough, Zoro had flipped on ESPN.

"We're here at the Random Stadium where the two major teams have chosen to dress up as….ninja for the final quarter of their game!"

Apparently, ESPN really did have ninja's.

Luffy stared at the large, burly men dressed in ninja outfits grappling for the football. He spoke after a few moments. "Wow…cool..."

Amazed, Zoro could do nothing but stare blankly at the screen, devoid, for a moment, of any and all thought. "...Wow."

The two sat that way for a while, just watching the surreal images before them as the commentators laughed jovially with each other about the oddity of it all.

Luffy laid back again Zoro, grinning. "See? There really are ESPN ninjas!"

"Wonderful," he muttered. Honestly, what were the odds! He shook his head, frowning. How strange. Reaching for the remote, he quickly switched it off. The Action channel was showing The Matrix -- again.

Unfortunately, it just had to be the scene where Neo and Trinity were having their rather random sex scene from Reloaded.

Luffy stared blankly at the screen before pointing, eyes wide. "Zoro, why are they naked? And why is the guy on top of the girl? ..Is that a girl? Why are they naked?"

Staring at the screen with morbid eyes, Zoro was now certain that tonight was not his night. He quickly grabbed the remote. There had to be some sort of girly child's anime on that Luffy could watch, right!

Fortunately for him, another channel was playing the Lord of the Rings.

"No, seriously Zoro! Why were they naked? Zor- SWORDS!" Luffy stopped questioning Zoro, immediately distracted by Aragorn's shiny sword and Legolas' never-ending quiver of arrows.

Thank God.

This wasn't Zoro's kind of movie, But Luffy seemed to enjoy fantasy, and it shut him up, so Zoro left it on. He could only hope that Luffy wouldn't remember it later.

Luffy remained transfixed for much of the movie, 'ooh-ing' and 'aah-ing' at the hobbits and the elves and the battle scenes. However, unfortunately for Zoro soon after the battle scene there came a romance scene between Arwen and Aragorn. Somehow, this brought what Luffy had seen earlier back to mind.

"So…really, why were they naked?" Luffy asked, glancing up at Zoro.

Cringing, Zoro stared at the young boy in his lap for a moment, before he finally sighed.

"Ah... I... I don't know," he muttered, and really, he had always thought that scene was stupid. "I guess it's because... well, because they really cared about each other." He shrugged.

Luffy's brow furrowed in confusion. "So when you really care for someone, you sit naked on top of them and move funny?"

Raising a hand to his forehead in frustration, Zoro sighed and shook his head. "No... Luffy..." he frowned. "They were having sex. It's what two people do when they're in love with each other."

Luffy blinked, adding this piece of information to his little store of "love" information in his head. "…So when people love each other, it isn't a fruit. They care for each other so they….kiss and have sex…which is…being on top of each other…naked and moving funny?"

After a short pause, Zoro finally answered, "Yeah." That was good enough. Luffy's mind seemed good at simplifying things, and Zoro had no desire to elaborate.

"Okay, so love is kissing and sex and weird feelings. Everyone in the house keeps teasing you about being in 'love' with me, so does that mean you're supposed to want to have sex with me?" Luffy asked, glancing up at Zoro with a confused face.

Zoro's head shot up from his hand for a moment, dark eyes staring into Luffy's. His face was shocked, and he choked for a moment, completely unsure what to say. "...Yeah," he finally muttered shortly. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Ohhhhh." Luffy nodded, leaving it at that as the scene finally ended. "Yay! Aragorn LIVES!"

Zoro was glad that Luffy could just drop the subject so casually. His arm had subconsciously tightened around Luffy's waist and pulled the boy closer, and only now did Zoro notice it. He frowned, but didn't let up.

Luffy smiled, just letting him self lie against Zoro's chest with his head tucked just beneath Zoro's chin. He decided he definitely liked sitting like this, and the mystery feeling had made its reappearance and had agreed.

They continued to watch the movie, time ticking by as Luffy remained completely enthralled by the story. However, as amazed as he was, his eyes were beginning to droop, and he would yawn on occasion between gasps of amazement and awe.

By the time the credits were rolling Luffy was curled up against Zoro's chest, snoring softly and mumbling about hobbits and elves and evil rings.

Smiling softly, Zoro reached for the remote and flipped off the TV. Most of the household had either gone to bed or were in their rooms for the night, and Zoro carefully shifted Luffy so the boy was balanced in his arms, quickly making his way up the stairs and into his bedroom. Tomorrow would be Luffy's first day of school. Smiling a bit at the thought, Zoro set Luffy down in his bed and turned, pulling off his own clothes to change into pajamas.

Luffy was awoken by the motion and mumbled, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. He glanced around the room in confusion. "…Meeer?"

Turning his head, Zoro quickly pulled his pants up, blinking towards the boy. "...Go one back to sleep," he said softly.

The boy yawned and nodded, laying back down and snuggling against the pillow with a smile.

Wasn't tomorrow his first day of school?

Oh, he'd be fine.

Sighing, Zoro decided the night was warm enough to go without a shirt. He paused for a moment, going to the window to ensure it was locked before he slid silently into the bed beside Luffy. "Goodnight," he said gruffly, shutting his eyes, and within minutes, he was out again.

---

**To be continued…**

_Um…yes….fluff is fun. _

…I really need sleep.

Um…yes…reviews…

**poxmaker: **_Um…Ace is Luffy's older brother. Shanks is just a close friend. And yes, perhaps Nami or Usopp will suggest it to him, hee hee! We'll see how things go. _

**AlibisDragon: **_Indeed…can he be sneaky? We'll see! _

**Illusion of a Lunatic: **_Heh, thanks. _

**MeraNova: **_Yes. You and your friends are definitely true geniuses. _

**The Plushie Bandit: **_Sanji's dancing amuses me…yes it does…we should make him dance and make Luffy and Zoro kiss more often…  
_

**Dark Angel Kira: **_"Accident"? What accident? And yay, cookies! _

**Icy Sapphire15: **_o.O Wow, you did a spit-take while reading TW? I feel special… _

**Love is for Fools: **_XD Yes, everyone feels bad for Zoro, but at the same time they don't. Yuuus. _

**Raikou Ikazuchi: **_o.o Wow, long review. I love you and your long reviews! Heh, I'm glad you like how we're bringing in other animes, it's quite fun to do. As for Smoker and Ace…well, Smoker's role isn't as big, but Ace has a VERY important role. But I'm not saying anything else. Shame we couldn't use that pantry idea, that was bloody genius... _

**queen of the world: **_Woot, popsicle! _

**YuugiLover3: **_Wow, a return of the hat dance? I must do that dance. The "I know where you sleep" part was actually Constable's writing, not mine. I did love it too, though. XP As for the "wonderful" part, it was probably a bit of sarcasm and a bit of sincerity there. And Zoro does indeed have all three katana, though his rotten luck isn't because of Sandai, it's just because he's stuck in a role-play, played by deranged fangirls. Also, Chopper will indeed have a part in this fic! Just wait and see. _

**Xeora: **_o.o Fanart? That'd be great! Go on, get started! Digi loves fanart! If you drew fanart from this fic especially, I will love you forever. _

**Angel of the Mirror: **_Um…who didn't wake up? _

**Hasuko: **_Indeed, Luffy needs his Straw Hat. And yes, I know its Miss Valentine…erm…now. Yes. I'll fix that….yeah. _

**Griffingurl: **_Poor George, now he's not the new chapter. Hmm…are Shanks and Ben still alive? I'm not telling. _

**WhiteTigeress666: **_Yus! Maybe now Zoro will get over his denial. Maybe. _

**Mai Hayami: **_Yus, the marines are the police force. _

**koku-kirin: **_Well, there are two authors you know. O.o This is a role-play between myself and Constable Remington, I only write half of each chapter. _

**Next Chapter:**_ A strange dream, and Luffy's first day of school! OMG yay!  
_


	19. First Day

**-Tangled Web-  
A role-play/joint-fic by Digitaldreamer and Constable Remington  
Chapter Nineteen: First Day **

_o.o Hooo-i! It looks like less people read than last time…or at least less reviewed…what happened? Was the last chapter so lacking in plot that no one wanted to review? That makes me sad…but I know you're all still reading, because the hits are the same as they always were. _

Um…well, hopefully more of you will tell me what you think this time?

Aw, come on! We have CRYPTIC DREAM SEQUENCES!

…Oh fine, go read.

**--- **

_The fog of dreams overtook the slumbering swordsman as he slipped into a deeper state of rest. He found himself opening his eyes to stare into a small, dusty room, bright with the golden rays of sunset's light streaming in. The room was illuminated, dust particles that floated in the air catching the light and reflecting it, as if the room was filled with thousands of tiny, dim fireflies. He sat cross-legged in the center of the room, his wrists balanced against his knee -- a meditation-style position he had learned in his youth. He cast calm eyes about -- this had been the training room he had learned swordsmanship from his sensei from when he had been just a boy. Why was he revisiting it now?_

_It seemed so silent, so dead, filled with a ringing sort of silence that could only come with a room of ages past. Zoro knew this place wasn't standing anymore -- his whole hometown had burned down -- so why...? _

"Destati! Tendi la mano..." A soft voice sang, echoing through the small room in a surreal manner.

The owner of the voice sat across from Zoro, sitting in front of the open door with his lithe body framed by the sunsets light. He sat in a relaxed position, leaning back and propping himself up with his arms, legs sprawled out lazily in front of him. He wore a plain white yukata, though it hung off his small frame as it was a bit big on him. The boy's hair was quite a bit like Luffy's only a bit longer and far neater.

Really, he would have seemed rather ordinary, save for the shimmering pair of wings folded upon his back.

" E'giunta l'ora, destati!"  
_  
Suddenly noticing the boy as Zoro's eyes shot up, he stared at him. What was this kid doing, invading his memories? Who was he? He looked like an angel..._

_"...Who are you?" Zoro asked softly, not defensive, just curious. The boy didn't seem to pose any threat or harm... but he looked so similar to a certain other black-haired teenager... _

The boy paused in his singing, glancing back at the swordsman with a laugh. His face couldn't be seen due to the light. "You know what? I don't remember." He laughed again, the jovial sound filling the room.

Taken aback by this, Zoro felt warmth fill him at the boy's laughter. "Don't remember," he said softly. "Any reason why you're in my dreams?"

The boy turned back to the sunset, kicking his legs idly in the air and lightly fluttering his wings. "Funny thing. I don't quite remember that either. All I can remember is it was for something important."

"Well," Zoro suggested sharply, beginning to grow irritated, "maybe you should remember, if it's important..."

The boy laughed again. "No need to get annoyed, Zoro. I'll remember eventually," he said, waving his hand dismissively. "It doesn't come into play now, anyway…" he trailed off, beginning to sing again. "Le porte Serrano schiuse!"

Frowning a little, Zoro lifted a hand suddenly to brush fingers against the boy's feathers.

The boy immediately burst into a fit of giggles, wings extending and flapping a few times. "Don't do that, it tickles! If you tickle me I'm not gonna tell you the part I do remember!"

A breeze rushed past Zoro's face and he pulled his hand away a bit, tilting his head some. "All right," he said, smiling a little. "I won't tickle you."

The boy giggled again, covering his mouth with his hands for a moment before he went back to his usual position. He seemed to have calmed down, gaining a more mysterious and serene air about him. "Something is supposed to happen tomorrow. Something big. Tomorrow you will gain something very important to you, and that will set everything into motion. No matter what happens, you must hold on to that one thing. No matter how hard things get, that is what will pull you through it."

He turned to gaze at Zoro, though his eyes couldn't really be seen as his bangs had fallen in the way. "Hard times are coming. Everything is going to change soon. Just when you think you understand everything, something else is there to add to this odd picture. Just when you think you've got things under control, you discover another thread. It's a tangled web, and it just goes on and on and on. While you're in this chaos, it's hard to understand who and what to believe…so don't think about it. Follow what your heart tells you, and don't lose sight of it."

Watching the angel with gentle curiosity, Zoro felt his stomach churning. Something big tomorrow? He tried to think more on this, but he felt himself slipping away.

_"Wait-- come back--"_

And then the sunlight was streaming in through his windows, birds were chirping outside, and Zoro was undeniably awake.

"Fuck," he muttered. And what a nice word it was to start the day with.

There was a loud knock on Zoro's door, followed by an even louder voice. "Zoro, did you forget to set your alarm again? Stop screwing the kid and get up, you can't let your gay relationship make him late for his first day of school!" Nami called through the door.

Luffy remained curled up in bed, still softly snoring with an angelic smile on his face.

Grumbling to himself, Zoro sat up in bed, looking around the room, memories of the dream still in his mind. He shook them out of his head, before turning to look down at Luffy. Brushing a hand through the young boy's hair, Zoro gently shook his shoulder.

"C'mon, Luffy, time to get up and get ready for school."

The boy's eyes opened and he blinked blearily up at the swordsman. "…school?" he repeated.

"Did you forget?" Zoro yawned. "It's your first day. You have to get up. C'mon." He stood from the bed, stretching. "I'm gonna grab a shower, all right?"

Luffy's eyes widened. "Oh yeah!" he yelped, hopping out of bed. "Today's my first day of school! Yippee!" he cheered. Then he frowned. "You're taking a shower? Can I take one real quick after you? I don't wanna smell icky on my first day!" He hadn't bathed since Friday, after all.

"Course you can," Zoro murmured, grabbing up his towel and uniform. "I'll just be a minute." And with that, he stepped from the room.

Luffy stood there for a moment, frowning, before heading over to where his clothes were stashed and grabbing the bag they had gotten just yesterday. He reached into it and pulled out the folded up uniform jacket, holding it out in front of him.

So today was the first day he'd be wearing it, huh?

Luffy smiled, setting the jacket on the bed along with a uniform shirt and pants. He stared down at the uniform for a moment, grinning at it.

His very own school uniform. He was really going to go to school! Sure, he had probably gone to school before, but since he didn't remember it now, this really did feel like his very first day at school ever. Though it did give him a sort of sense of déjà vu…

_"Yosha! My first day of school!" _

_"Oi, Luffy! Stop jumping around, you're gonna get your uniform all wrinkled!"_

_"But I'm so excited, 'niichan!"_

_Laughter. "Yeah, yeah, I know you are."_

Luffy beamed, glancing down at the bags with his clothes once more. Then he frowned, spotting a bag that hadn't been there before. He grabbed it, emptying it onto the bed. Pencils, a binder, a planner, note books, erasers, and folders scattered onto the rumpled comforter, along with a large black backpack.

Where had _these_ come from?

Within a few moments, Zoro had walked back into the room, slinging his towel across the chair, hair damp. "All right," he said. Blinking towards the supplies, he tilted his head. "Oh..." He had forgotten to get those... "Where'd you get all that stuff?"

Luffy shrugged, looking over the notebooks and beaming at the designs on them. " I don't know, I just found a bag over there in the corner with my stuff…hee hee, this one had pirate flags on it, that's so cool!"

"...Weird." He shrugged a bit. "Well, at least you'll be prepared."

The boy nodded, stuffing the things into the bag. "Yup!" After doing so he grabbed his uniform. "I'm gonna go get a shower now!" he said cheerfully, running out of the room.

"I'll be downstairs," Zoro called after him, moving to grab his own schoolbag and walk out the door and down the hallway, boots clomping against the stairs.

Bento boxes sat on the table -- Sanji must have made them before he had gone into work. Zoro frowned. The cook was irritating as hell, but at least he made good food.

A blue one with peacocks painted on it was Vivi's; Nami's a striking orange with fruit decorations. Both of those were missing, however, as the girls must have gone in early for clubs. The table had Usopp's brown box with strange, abstract decorations on it, sitting beside Zoro's plain black and another one, as well -- Sanji's old box, a deep blue decorated in swimming fish. There was a note on top--

"Luffy can use this one for now," it read, "But you should buy him a new one, Marimo."

Zoro rolled his eyes, crumpling the note and tossing it away.

Luffy came bounding down the stairs a few minutes later, book bag slung over his shoulder. He was now clad in his uniform, though it looked a bit sloppy with his shirt un-tucked and his jacket left open and his shoe laces untied. And then there was the tie…oh, the tie. Could it even be called a tie anymore?

Luffy skidded to a stop in the kitchen, panting. "I got a shower!" he announced.

Ussop stared at him from the table, where he was just finishing his cereal. "…Good for you," he managed to get out without cracking up at the sight of the boy.

"Luffy..." Zoro frowned as he looked up. "Get over here." Grabbing the boy's arm, he tugged Luffy over, his hands working quickly to pull at Luffy's waistline and tuck the shirt in before buttoning the jacket and doing the tie. "There. You have to look neat, or they'll get pissy." He gestured towards the bento box. "There's your lunch. Don't eat it until lunch time." He paused. "Juniors and Seniors eat together, so if you wait for me, I'll eat with you."

Luffy tugged on his tie, now that it was on correctly it was kind of uncomfortable. However, once the mention of lunch came he completely forgot about the tie and immediately reached out to snatch the bento box.

"Squeee, fishies!" he chirped, already making as if to open the lunch box. He paused at Zoro's next comment however, frowning. On one hand, he could eat the yummy food now. On the other hand, he could do the horrible thing known as _waiting_ and eat with Zoro…

…hmmm…

He'd have to give this one a bit more thought.

The boy zipped open his backpack, placing the bento box inside as if it were some kind of holy object.

Ussop blinked, pointing at Luffy. "You're kidding me. He's a junior?"

Luffy glanced at Ussop grinning and nodding. "Yup!"

"Wow…how'd you pass the test?" Ussop asked, eyes wide.

Luffy just shrugged.

They sat there in awkward silence for a moment.

"Cool! That means you'll be in my classes!" Ussop cheered, jumping out of his seat.

"YAAAAY!" Luffy cheered, doing an odd sort of dance. After placing his bowl in the sink Ussop slung an arm around Luffy's shoulder and joined him.

…It was as if they had found their fellow five-year old or something.

Watching the two, Zoro just sighed, placing his own box into his backpack and moving towards the door. "C'mon, Luffy, let's go," he called.

"But I didn't get any food!" Luffy whined. He then quickly glanced around the kitchen, rushing over to a cabinet and pulling out two plastic baggies. He poured Cap'n Crunch into both of them and closed them, then ran back to the door.

"Bye Ussop, see you at school!" he called behind him.

Zoro moved outside, to his motorcycle yet again. "School's too far to walk," he explained as he climbed on. "Hold on tight, all right?"

Luffy nodded, grinning widely as he hopped onto the bike behind Zoro. He wrapped his arms around the swordsman's waist as usual, still grinning widely. He loved this motorcycle. Yes he did. But not as much as Zoro.

…did he just think that?

The boy shrugged, letting the thought slide. Now wasn't the time to think about that, it was his first day of school and he was riding a motorcycle!

Oblivious to Luffy's thoughts, Zoro revved up the engine and began the quick trip to school.

Zoro's motorcycle had become somewhat of a legend around the high school, but never had the students seen Zoro ride in with another person holding tightly to his waist. This garnered more stares than usual, which Zoro tried to ignore as he parked and slid from the motorcycle.

Luffy slid off of the motorcycle beside Zoro, gazing around. Wow…the school seemed even better when there were students here! They sure seemed friendly…a lot of them were staring at them, that was a good thing right?

It took mere moments for a group of girls to rush over, like flies attracted to some sweet, rotting thing.

The blonde one was apparently the leader as she stepped forward, glancing down her nose at Luffy. "So _he's _the lucky guy hmmm?" she drawled, and a few girls giggled.

Zoro stared at her. He didn't really know this girl very well, but he had seen Nami with her and her friends. "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked rather defensively.

She laughed, and all the other girls laughed right along with her. "I think Zoro-kun has a boyfriend!" one with dark brown hair said teasingly.

Luffy blinked in confusion. Boyfriend? Like as in a friend who was a boy?

One with short, layered black hair spoke up. "_The_ Zoro-kun? The one that doesn't socialize with _anyone_?"

The blonde smiled, reaching down to trace a manicured nail lightly along Luffy's jaw. "…I suppose he's not too bad for someone who just got picked up off the street…"

Freaking out, Zoro grabbed Luffy's shoulder, yanking him away from the touch. Goddamnit, did it have to happen here, too!

"Luffy's my friend," he said shortly, "and my roommate. Just give it up already." His eyes were dark and daring, and he glared softly towards the group, as if daring them to try and touch Luffy again.

Luffy just sort of stared at them, confused. What was going on here? It kind of reminded him of Nami's teasing…only a bit meaner.

The blonde held up her hands. "My my, touchy touchy. Bit possessive aren't you?" she said with a smile.

The one with the dark brown hair gave a nervous giggle. "We were just playing Zoro-kun, no need to get all hissy over it."

"Yeah, we were just playing!" the black-haired one repeated.

However, instead of taking Zoro's glare as a hint to leave, the girls stayed. "So, what's the kids name?" the blonde asked, twirling a lock of gold around her finger.

Luffy grinned. "Monkey D. Luffy!"

The girls all simultaneously rose eyebrows.

"Weird name," the black-haired girl remarked. "Can you imagine shouting that during sex?"

Zoro's hands clenched and he glared at them.

"Luffy, we don't need to listen to this," he stated, growling. "C'mon, let's go."

"Okay!" Luffy said, still grinning. He waved at the girls. "Bye weird girls!" he said cheerfully.

The girls all just giggled and began talking amongst themselves.

Pulling Luffy inside the school, Zoro moved towards the front desk. The secretary from the day before was there, and she looked up at him questioningly.

"...We're here to get his schedule," he stated. "Monkey D. Luffy?"

"...Luffy...?" the woman asked, absently. "Monkey D. Luffy..."

Zoro sighed. This again? He could see the damn paper on the desk. Reaching over, Zoro grabbed it.

"Thanks," he replied caustically, handing the paper to Luffy.

Luffy grabbed the schedule and stared at it blankly for a few moments. What was a "Geometry?" Oh well, he'd figure it out.

"Thanks secretary lady!" he chirped as he continued to glance over the paper. "…Maybe I should go to my…locker…thing first?" he suggested, looking to Zoro with an unsure look on his face.

Zoro nodded, glancing towards the paper. "All right, let's go find it."

"Okie dokie!" Luffy said cheerfully, following Zoro.

They paraded around the hallways for awhile, in search for Luffy's locker. They eventually found it rather far into the school, in the wing where most seniors were. There were several lockers that were empty, due to drop-outs, last minute school changes, or other reasons.

Luffy glanced along the rows, searching for his number. "One-oh-one. One-oh-one…oh, where is it?" he muttered, folding his arms and tapping his foot.

"Maybe you should try looking after one hundred and before one-oh-two," a deep, smirking voice came, followed by the loud slamming of a locker. Zoro looked up.

"Kizuma," he said shortly, with barely a nod of his head.

A tall, muscular senior stood before the two, his long, long brown hair pulled back into a tight ponytail and his startling blue eyes staring down at them with a look of disgust. His uniform was rumpled and dirty, tattered in some places, but he didn't mind. The man leaned against the metal lockers, crossing his arms.

"Roronoa," he returned haughtily, examining his fingernails. "Didn't take you as the kind to be so caring and gentle towards underclassmen. Showing him where his locker is? Che. You'll be wiping his nose next."

Zoro glared sharply at the man, snatching the schedule from Luffy's hands. He said nothing, only quickly opening the locker.

Luffy stared up at Kizuma with a look of curiosity at first, though his eyes narrowed a bit as he began to talk about Zoro. However, since the swordsman hadn't said anything he didn't either, smiling and nodding at Zoro in thanks as he shifting his bag off of his back and crammed it into the tiny locker. He then unzipped it and peered over Zoro's arm at his schedule.

He grinned. "Geometry first, eh?" he asked, pulling all of his notebooks out of his bag and glancing over them. He seemed a bit like a little kid, getting all excited over his new school supplies just because they were new. After a few moments he held up one with a dark blue oriental dragon on it, grinning. "This one's perfect!" he declared.

Annoyed at being ignored, Kizuma reached forward suddenly, grabbing the folder from Luffy's hands. Zoro's hand came sharply out suddenly, snatching Kizuma's wrist. The two stared each other down in heated silence. A few in the halls were stopped to watch.

"You wanna let go of Luffy's folder?" Zoro asked lowly.

"You wanna make me?" Kizuma contested, but the bell rang and he sneered. "I don't have time for this right now." He let the folder fall to the floor, turning and heading down the hall. "I'll see you two later."

Zoro sighed, reaching down to pick the folder up and hand it to Luffy.

Luffy took the folder along with his schedule, staring after Kizuma. "Jeez…he's not very nice," he commented, eyebrows rising as he shut the locker door. He glanced down at his schedule. "Room two-oh-three," he chirped, beginning to walk down the hallway. Sure he didn't know where he was supposed to go exactly, but he was pretty sure room two-oh-three wasn't going to be around the senior hallway.

"Is he always like that?" he asked Zoro as he continued to walk.

"Yes," Zoro replied promptly, hurriedly following him. Luffy's class wasn't too far from his own, so he'd be able to show him the right hall to take. "He's just an asshole. Ignore him when you see him and just try to get away."

Luffy made a face. Well, that wasn't very exciting at all! He supposed he shouldn't be going around getting into fights though; Zoro had worked hard enough to get him into this school. He wasn't going to screw things up by getting into trouble on his first day.

So no arguing and no fighting then.

"Okay!" Luffy nodded, still smiling. No need to let the scary guy with the long hair ruin his first day, after all!

They moved down the main hall together, through the heavy onslaught of students. Zoro's hand quickly found Luffy's as he pulled him along, trying to hang onto him so as not to lose the boy in the crowd. Finally, they reached the end of the building. The hallway split into two directions.

"Two hundreds down there," Zoro said, pointing with his free hand towards the left hallway. "I'll be down the other one."

Luffy nodded, glancing down the hallway. It was so big and it had so many people! They were all there, some talking and laughing and others making their way to class…it was a bit overwhelming for a person who had never been to a place like this. Or if he had, he didn't remember it.

He looked back at Zoro, his hand tightening around the swordsman's for a moment. "All right! Thanks for showing me where it was!" The boy smiled, though one could easily tell he was a bit nervous. "I…guess I'll see you at lunch then?"

"Yeah." Zoro smiled, letting his hand fall from Luffy's. "I'll just... meet you right at your locker." He awkwardly reached up, ruffling Luffy's hair, before the bell rang again. "Shit, we're late--" He turned to rush down the hall. "See you!"

Luffy yelped at the sound of the bell, turning to tear down the hallway. "Right, see you at lunch!" He called back, eyes darting back and forth as he searched for his class. Unfortunately for him he ended up running right past it, and entered several minutes later.

Ussop glanced up from his doodle as the door opened, then slapped his forehead. "Late on his first day…" he muttered, shaking his head.

---

**To be continued… **

_My oh my…Luffy's not off to a very good start, is he? Nope, not at all. _

_Um…review time!_

**Mai Hayami:** _o.O Constable and I have a writing pattern? Um…okay…did we follow it, then? As for the school stuff…well, you may be right, you may not be right. We'll see!_

**The Plushie Bandit:** _Um…fluff is good…yes…fluff is very good…eh, we'll see about that scene._

**poxmaker:**_ I know! ESPN should have ninja's. As for the random sex scene in Reloaded, that's my opinion. I personally felt it was completely pointless, it didn't really fit in with the rest of the movie and served no purpose for the story. They could have just left it out and everything would have been still awesome. As for Zoro's present, it's probably a bit mature for Luffy, not to mention a bit early in their relationship, they haven't even known each other for a week._

**Illusion Of A Lunatic:** _XD I sure hope Nami gives me a few of those pictures too._

**Icy Sapphire15:** _Grrr…I need the sixth Harry Potter book so I can read it's kickass-ness!_

**MeraNova:** _Well, actually Chopper is already in the fic, a few chapters from now. I guarantee how he shows up will be better than him just showing up on a t-shirt! Maybe I will still include Shea…I'm not making any promises, though. _

**Griffingurl:** _Indeed, poor Zoro and his having to explain of the Birds and the Bees._

**Xeora:** _Squeee, fanart! Thank you so much! I can't wait to see it!_

**AlibisDragon:**_ Yes…can Luffy be secretive? We'll see!_

**YuugiLover3:** _Well, I'm glad you're happy about Chopper being in the fic. And that's great how you were watching LoTR while reading TW. That's so great. XD And I want Miss Valentine's devil fruit power too! And you discovered my livejournal? Um…wow, I'm special. O.o I'll be sure to hunt you down on there sometime! And yay, cookies and plushies!_

**Hasuko:** _Nah, their weekend wasn't extra long, just seemed that way since the chapters are so spread out or whatever…_

**koku-kirin:** _Well, I would read your fic, but it seems to not be there when I go to your author page…_

**WhiteTigeress666:**_Indeed, the first day of school brings doom…_

**Raikou Ikazuchi:**_ o.o Jeez, you write LONG reviews and I love you for it. Hmmm…Pirates of the Caribbean is actually a really great idea…we should use that. And I'm glad that you're happy that we brought in the Matrix? O.o Poor Luffy... indeed one day Zoro will help him understand. XD And Ace is definitely one of the coolest characters around, we love the Narcoleptic Fireboy. As for Chaser…heh, we'll see. Wow, dub! Sanji literally broke your eardrum? Ow…hope it grows back soon! _

**Sofia:** _o.o We have a list of fans? Um…wow, that's news to me. Um…well, I updated! I hope that cured your hurting eyes!_

**Next Chapter:**_ All Luffy wants is to at least try to not cause trouble on his first day of school, but Kizuma seems to have other plans._


	20. School Daze

**-Tangled Web-  
A role-play/joint-fic by Digitaldreamer and Constable Remington  
Chapter Twenty: School Daze **

_So yeah…here we are…chapter twenty of Tangled Web. _

_Wow…this thing has lasted twenty chapters? Just wow…and to think we're barely into the storyline..._

_Sadly, this Sunday I'm going camping for a week, so after this chapter there will be no TW goodness for awhile…sorry everyone. T.T_

_In uber awesome news… _

_O.O Someone drew fanart for this fic! I think I had a heart attack from happiness! Her name is dichana and she rocks so hard! You can find it here: www. deviantart. com / view / 21079121 / _

_I know, spaces are evil. So is random discrimination against links. Just take out the spaces, it's not that hard._

_Isn't it great? I sat there randomly spasming from happiness for the next five minutes after I saw it! So much squee!_

_So this chapter of the fic is dedicated to dichana, because she rocks my socks even though I lost all of mine._

**_--- _**

The classes went on strangely from there -- Luffy was introduced as a student and given a seat, and the teacher would launch straight into the lesson without further interruptions.

After Luffy had to find his own way to three classes, the bell finally rang for Junior and Senior lunch. Zoro was waiting patiently at Luffy's locker, leaning against the front, arms crossed over his chest, when the familiar taunting voice from before sounded off behind him.

"Hey there, Roronoa. Waiting for your little friend?"

Zoro didn't bother to turn.

"Yes," he responded simply.

"And what is little friend's name?" Zoro heard the locker behind him open and things begin to be shuffled inside. He didn't move.

"None of your business," he stated simply.

The locker slammed shut with a clang.

"That's fine," he smirked. "I already know. Saw it on his little schedule this morning."

"Amazing, you can read," Zoro remarked nonchalantly. Where was Luffy?

"Don't push your luck, Roronoa." It became apparent in Kizuma's voice that he was smirking, and a hand reached out, grasping Zoro's shoulder and shoving him fully against the locker. The taller man pinned him there, grinning, moving to linger far too close for comfort. "I don't like being pushed."

"You don't scare me, Kizuma," Zoro answered, eyes steady and dark, threatening. "Now let go of me."

"I don't think I will."

"Oi! Zoro!" Luffy called as he sprinted down the hallway, a smile on his face as usual. He couldn't wait to eat his lunch, he'd been thinking of the bento box in his backpack throughout most of his classes. "My classes are fun and Ussop's in them and I'm really hungry so-"

The smile on his face quickly became a frown as he took in the sight before him, eyes narrowing. "Hey! Let him go!" Luffy yelled as he picked up his pace, reaching his locker within seconds so he could glare up at Kizuma.

"Stay out of it, Luffy," came Zoro's calm voice, his eyes not moving from Kizuma's crazy face. "I can handle him."

"Ooh, you can handle me." The man gave a soft laugh. "Little friend is here to save you, Roronoa." His smirk widened. "Maybe I'd let you go, in exchange for him."

"You keep your goddamn hands off Luffy, or I swear to God I will--"

"Touchy, touchy!" A cold laugh echoed from the man's lips. "Mmn, don't worry, Roronoa. I'll let little friend go for now." He paused. "And I'm feeling generous, so I'll let you go, too." His hands pulled away from Zoro's shoulders.

"You're not intimidating anyone, Kizuma," Zoro growled, staring at him. "You just try to act tough." He smirked. "Someday, it'll get you into a world of trouble." And with that, Zoro turned, snagging Luffy's arm and pulling him away.

As the two walked together down the hall, it became apparent that Zoro had his hands full, both with his own bento box, and with Luffy's.

"Got yours for you," he explained, handing it to the boy as they moved out the doors to the outdoor courtyard.

Luffy spared one last glance over his shoulder at Kizuma, slowing down a bit. He then hurried to catch up with Zoro, falling into step beside the swordsman after a few moments. He glanced up at Zoro with large, dark chocolate colored eyes, innocent confusion written clearly upon his face. "What was _that_ all about?" he asked before letting out a small yelp of glee as Zoro handed him his bento.

Zoro shrugged, quickly finding the shade of a tree to sit in, leaning against the trunk. "I have no idea. He doesn't like me much." Zoro shrugged. "But he knows better than to pick a real fight with me. I beat him up pretty good Freshman year." He grinned at the thought, opening his bento box and grabbing for the chopsticks inside, beginning to eat. "If he gives you any trouble, just ignore him."

Luffy plopped down next to Zoro in the shade, immediately opening his own box and snatching up the chopsticks. He began to eat at lightning speed, merely nodding at Zoro and grinning with his mouth full. He glanced around the courtyard, smiling at the rays of sunshine peeking out from behind the clouds. For November, it had certainly been nice out lately. Of course it was a bit chilly, but it was still too nice out to just stay inside!

Zoro sat for a minute, thinking. The fact that he had had to date his papers today reminded him that his birthday was tomorrow. It wasn't a big deal or anything, it just meant he'd be a year older. He shrugged, continuing to eat.

"Oi! Luffy, Zoro!" a voice called out.

Luffy glanced up and waved at Nami as she made her way over to the tree, skirt flaring around her legs in the wind. "Hi Nami!" Luffy chirped, though his mouth was full when he spoke so it came out all garbled.

Nami made a face, lightly thwacking Luffy over the head. "Chew and swallow BEFORE you talk, idiot," she chastised. Luffy just rubbed his head and continued to eat.

Staring up at her, Zoro frowned. "Luffy met your charming friends this morning," he noted.

Luffy wrinkled his nose as he swallowed a bit of his food. "Those girls were your friends, Nami? They were weird!"

Nami made a face. "Oh…did they tease you too much? I told them they were supposed to just leave you two alone today, but I guess it didn't work out that way," she said with a laugh, sitting down in front of both of them and opening her bento. She began to daintily eat, munching on an orange slice.

"What exactly are you telling people about me!" Zoro practically cried, eyes widening. He had a reputation to uphold here!

The orange-haired senior laughed, waving her hand in a dismissive manner. "Oh, nothing big. I just told the girls what happened on Wednesday night and my thoughts on the matter, and I guess it got out. No big deal, I'm sure everyone's still completely terrified of you!" she said brightly.

Finishing his food, Zoro closed the top on the lacquered wooden box with a grunt. "Don't gossip about me," he grumbled. At least it made sense why people had been staring at him in his classes. Just how damn fast could word possibly spread!

Sometimes, Zoro really hated Nami.

Nami rolled her eyes as she ate her final orange slice. "I wasn't _gossiping_, I was telling the girls about what was going on in my life. Sadly, you happen to be a part of it. It wasn't _my _fault they went and told everyone else," she said as she stood, closing her bento and brushing off her skirt.

Meanwhile, Luffy was holding his box upside down and peering inside of it, hoping perhaps he had missed some of his food.

Zoro sighed, standing from the grass and staring down at Luffy. "C'mon, you don't want to be late again," he said gruffly. The encounter earlier with Kizuma lingered in his mind, putting him on edge.

Luffy pouted. "Lunch is over already?" he asked, finally figuring out that there was indeed no more food in his bento and closing it.

Nami shook her head. "Not quite, but it's close," she then frowned. "You were late?"

"Yup!" Luffy grinned, as if this were a good thing.

She sighed, shaking her head. "You're hopeless," she muttered before walking away, probably to go hunt down her little girl pack.

Holding his hand out to Luffy to help him up, Zoro watched Nami leave with a scowl. "Listen, if you're late three times, you have to stay after school for detention," Zoro explained. "Detention is when you have to sit in a little room for an hour or more and stay quiet without food the whole time, so try to be on time, okay?"

Luffy's eyes widened in horror as he took Zoro's hand and allowed himself to be hauled to his feet. Detention sounded like the worst thing ever. Having to sit still in a tiny room and be quiet? How horrible! The boy immediately resolved to never be late again. Ever. "I'll be on time!" he said, nodding.

"Good." Zoro had no desire to stay after school and wait for Luffy just so he could take him home. He pulled his hand from the boy's and began to walk back into the school. They skies above were getting gray... Zoro wondered if it would rain.

Luffy put his hands behind his head, glancing around. His eyes eventually settled on the clouds overhead and he grinned. "Yay, rain!" he chirped, clapping his hands together. "I love rain, I hope it rains!"

Silently moving back into the school, Zoro held the door for Luffy, glancing around. "Need help finding your next class?" he asked. Students were already swarming everywhere, Juniors and Seniors straight from lunch talking to each other as they moved to their lockers and classes, while Freshman and Sophomores were heading towards lunch.

Luffy glanced down at his schedule, frowning and scratching his head. "Yeah…where's the gym?" he asked, looking around. Gym's were supposed to be big, right? It couldn't have been that hard to find…

"Down the Senior Hall," Zoro explained. "Past your locker. It's big. You'll find it." He glanced down the hall. "Meet me at your locker after school, all right? See you." He turned, moving down the hall and into the swarm of students.

Luffy beamed and waved at Zoro (not that he could see it since he was walking away and all) then quickly shuffled down the hall. He really hoped that he wasn't supposed to already have a gym uniform…because if he was supposed to, he didn't have it.

The rest of the students had already begun warming up when Luffy arrived, and a quick glance around the room showed Luffy that yes, he probably was supposed to have a uniform. However, when the teacher showed up, he quickly found one that fit Luffy from a box in his office, handing it to him and instructing him to change in the locker rooms. He gave Luffy a locker number and combination, leaving the boy alone in the hall to go instruct the rest of the class.

Luffy blinked down at the number, shrugged, and headed to the locker rooms. After taking a few minutes to search for his locker he finally found it, once again he was stuck with a bottom locker.

"Awwwww, darn." Luffy pouted as he opened the locker, then pulled off his uniform jacket and shirt. He was so glad to get out of that tie, even if it was just for this one class. He liked school and all, but he wasn't too happy about the tie. He made sure to show the tie this by tossing it into the locker and sticking his tongue out at it.

The boy then tugged the uniform shirt over his head, frowning at it as he poked his head out of it. It was the smallest size, but it was still a bit big on him. Oh well! The same thing went for the shorts.

Gym class went fine -- the teacher had gotten called away for an important phone call and told the students just to split up and play Dodgeball for the hour, to which the class happily obliged. The rest of the day seemed to speed by, and within a few quick hours, school was over.

Luffy cheerfully made his way down the hall, weaving his way around students and teachers. Today had been so much fun! Class work was kind of boring, but there were plenty of interesting people to keep himself interested with. Ussop was in most of his classes, so that meant he had someone to play around with. Sure, his teachers were already convinced he was a complete moron, but that was okay! And he had gotten to eat lunch with Zoro today, so that meant all was good!

Someone was already waiting for Luffy when he got to his locker, but it wasn't Zoro. The tall, long-haired senior from that morning was leaning against Luffy's cool metal locker, not allowing entry.

"Hi there, Little friend," he snickered in a greeting, eyes cool and intimidating.

Luffy's eyes narrowed a bit as he slowed to a stop in front of his locker. His posture remained relaxed, although his arms tightened a bit around his books. What was the weird senior guy doing here? And where was Zoro?

Well, his locker _was_ just above Luffy's. Maybe he was just waiting for one of his friends? Nothing Luffy needed to worry about.

Luffy allowed his smile to fall back into place, although he seemed a bit cautious. "Hi! Um…could you move? You're in front of my locker and I kind of need to get my stuff…"

"Oh?" Kizuma didn't move. "Am I? Silly me." He laughed a little. "You'll have to make me move." It was probably the most straight-forward challenge Kizuma had made.

Luffy's smile became a frown at this. He was fairly sure he could, really. But it was just getting his stuff out of his locker, nothing to get into a fight over. Especially on his first day, there was no need to blow it now.

'If he gives you any trouble, just ignore him'. Zoro had said. The boy cocked his head to the side, a bit of hair falling into his eyes. "Please move," he repeated, tapping his fingers on the hard back of his English book.

"I think somebody's afraid," the older man taunted, smirking. "What's the matter, kid? You scared?"

Luffy's teeth clenched, but he shook his head. "No. You're not worth it," he said simply. "Now move so I can get my stuff, please."

The man's fists clenched. "Not worth it?" he repeated. "You push your luck, baby," he growled. A hand came up, smacking against Luffy's books and ripping them from his arms. The books fell loudly to the floor, a few pieces of paper that had been inside scattering.

Luffy glanced down at the books for a moment, watching the papers flutter to the floor.. He then wordlessly knelt down to pick up the papers and books, not even sparing Kizuma glance. 'Just ignore him, he's not worth it.'

Kizuma's booted foot came down hard on Luffy's hand as the boy moved to pick up a paper. "Don't ignore me, baby."

The boy didn't even make a sound as the boot came down on his fingers, though his jaw clenched and his eye twitched a bit. He glanced up at the older man and glared at him for a few seconds before speaking. "Get your foot off of my hand, and stop calling me 'baby'," he said, a hint of danger in his tone as he tried to tug the hand free.

But Kizuma's hand only pushed down harder, and he smirked. "What'chya gonna do about it, baby?" he sneered.

Students who had been on their way home or to get ready for after school sports had stopped in the hallway, staring. There was a surreal silence.

Luffy let out a long breath, eyes flaring dangerously. "Get off of my hand, and quit calling me that or I'm going to send you flying," he growled. He really, _really_ wanted to kick this guy's ass. But he also _really_ didn't want to get into trouble on his first day. The day was almost over, he wasn't about to blow it now.

A soft, gentle laugh filled the hallway, and Kizuma's foot stayed right where it was. "Such big words for such a little boy."

"Get off," Luffy repeated, fists clenching as he tried once again to tug his arm away.

"Mmn, all right baby, since you asked so nicely," the heavy black boot lifted from Luffy's hand, only for Kizuma's knee to come up with it, swiftly slamming up into Luffy's face.

Luffy let out a yelp of surprise and pain, the blow sending him sprawling onto his back. He felt blood beginning to leak from his nose, but he didn't bother reaching up to wipe it away. He stayed there for a few moments before rising to his feet and brushing himself off, glaring at Kizuma with fire in his eyes.

Forget ignoring him, this guy was getting on his nerves. Besides, from what he could tell the senior picked on other people too, so that gave him a right to kick his ass, right? Besides, today was pretty much over anyway, so it wasn't like he was ruining his first day or anything.

Laughing a little, Kizuma stared straight ahead, meeting Luffy's eyes. "C'mon, little friend, come and get me."

"Fine," Luffy snapped, putting up his fists. "You wanted a fight? Well now you've got one!" He charged at the long-haired senior, pulling back his fist and aiming a punch for his face.

Kizuma sidestepped into the lockers, Luffy's fist grazing his face. He turned, stepping behind the boy and reaching out to grab his arm.

Luffy spun away from the older man's grasp, twisting around and aiming a sweeping kick at the senior as he did so.

The foot hit Kizuma's side hard, slamming him into the cold gray metal of the lockers beside him. He choked out in surprise, taking a moment to readjust himself.

Luffy took this moment to aim a punch at Kizuma's face, grinning excitedly. He may not have remembered much, but he did remember how to fight. He sort of liked fighting, it always got his blood pumping and he hadn't had any excitement in awhile…or at least none that he remembered.

The senior's face took the punch, snapping his face downward, hair falling in his eyes. Blood filled his mouth, and he spit it out into the floor. A few girls backed up from the scene, but for the most part, the crowd that had gathered was now cheering loudly for a fight. Most seemed to be egging Luffy on -- everyone liked seeing the bully get his just rewards.

Kizuma, however, was far from amused.

His eyes shot up, flashing dangerously at Luffy. "I don't like it when people hit me, baby," he growled, wiping his mouth before rushing forward, a fist flying towards Luffy's stomach.

Luffy side-stepped the blow, but it still managed to graze his side. He still managed to grin as he brought his fist down to his side. "If you don't like it when people hit you, I'll be sure to hit you a hundred more times!" he said as he sent his fist upwards in a strong uppercut at Kizuma's jaw.

The fist hit Kizuma back instead of sideways this time, and he stumbled back, tripping over one of the books that had earlier fallen from Luffy's hands, and landing hard on the tile of the hallway floor. The crowd erupted in louder cheers as Kizuma groaned, trying to shakily pick himself up.

Luffy just stood there and watched fists at his side. If Kizuma got back up he would keep fighting, but Luffy wasn't the type to kick someone if they were already down. Maybe someone else would, but Luffy wouldn't. If Kizuma wanted to get up and leave now, then Luffy would let him.

It looked like the senior wanted to get up, but he didn't. A few other students were already walking away, chattering again to each other.

Luffy just watched Kizuma for a few moments before wiping the blood that was still dripping from his nose and walking over to his locker. He bent down and began to fumble around with the combination as if nothing had ever happened.

A silent face that had been watching from the back of the crowd pushed through, staring down at Kizuma for a moment before placing a gentle hand on Luffy's shoulder. "You ready to go?"

Luffy glanced up at Zoro as he hoisted his backpack over his shoulder, grinning. "Yup!" he said cheerfully.

"All right." Zoro made no mention of the fight, adjusting his own bag against his shoulder and strolling right past Kizuma and down the hall.

Luffy followed Zoro down the hall, ignoring Kizuma completely. Bully that he just beat up? What bully that he just beat up?

---

**To be continued… **

_Heh, not what you were all expecting, was it? You all expected ZORO to beat Kizuma, not Luffy! I hope you were all pleasantly surprised. _

_So then, review time!_

**Dark Angel Kira:** _Zoro could probably beat Kizuma just as easily as Luffy did, but I can't see him beating up girls unless they actually physically attacked him, no matter how annoying they were._

**Illusion Of A Lunatic:** _Heh, the dream got you hooked? Well, that's a good thing. And the conflicts Zoro faces will indeed be interesting…very interesting. (rubs hands together and grins evilly)_

**The Plushie Bandit:** _I wouldn't know if Kizuma's name stands for anything, he's Constable's character…I asked her, and she said she got it from "kizu", which means "wound", and "ma", which means "devil". Thus, his name means "wounded devil". And I can't say who the person in Zoro's dream was, but I will assure you that it isn't Angel Ace. I can't say whether Ace is alive or not, however._

**Hasuko:** _The dream was actually supposed to be confusing, it will all make sense by the time everything is said and done, but until then it only really makes sense to people who already know what's going to happen. Sorry this chapter wasn't much bigger._

**AlibisDragon:** _And the cryptic-ness of Zoro's dream intrigues yet another person, bwa ha ha! And you're welcome about reviewing your fic, it was excellent and I felt if I didn't review it I'd be committing some sort of horrible crime._

**KuroKame:** _The words "cryptic dream sequence" make you think of Sabrina?XD Weird. And you ended up reading it over and over again? I feel special. You've never had a lunchbox before? I always had a cheap plastic one, it made me sad. Oh, and when are you going to update The Seventh Guest? The wait is killing me!_

**Nanami:** _Heh, I'm glad that you liked our AU._

**Sofia:**_ Gee, maybe Usopp was lying…(glances at the review number) …or not. I'm sorry this chapter wasn't very long, next chapter will be a lot longer I promise! (sobs)_

**Ie Lanner:**_ Indeed, interesting things do happen at school…_

**MeraNova:** _Your friend Shea is…interesting.._

**Mai Hayami:**_ Yes, in actual school subjects Luffy is doomed, as well as in the social ladder. Poor, poor boy. XD We'll see if people notice the chemistry between Luffy and Zoro, we'll see…as for the pattern, well, that's certainly interesting. And Sanji calls Zoro "Marimo", which is a kind of sea moss that looks very much like Zoro's hair. He calls Nami "Nami-san", which is like calling her "Miss Nami". He calls Vivi "Vivi-chan", which is a suffix that you use for a close friend who is a girl or a girl who is younger than you. As for Chopper…well, you'll see._

**IcySapphire15:** _Indeed, what a first day he is having._

**Griffingurl:** _Well, than__kfull__y Luffy wasn't late to each class like you predicted, ne?_

**Rikku Rinku:** _Well, there, Kizuma has had his ass handed to him. Good enough for you? And I want pirate themed school stuff too…_

**Kai:** _Kissing…eh, I'll see what I can do…_

**Raikou Ikazuchi:** _Yes, I love your long reviews! They're so awesome! I'm glad you liked the first day of school thing, I loved writing it. And I can't say exactly who the person in Zoro's dream was, but I will say it wasn't angel!Ace. I can't say if he's living or dead, though. Heh, the girls made the AU more realistic? Well, I'm glad for that. Well, as you can see, Luffy was the one to kick Kizuma's ass. Not what you were expecting, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway!_

_There isn't much about Luffy's actual school day because we felt it wasn't actually important, but there will be some very…well, interesting scenes in the future. (grins evilly) I can see Luffy's with pictures of meat on his…or pirate skull and crossbones or something, heh. Maybe the Straw Hat flag symbol? We'll see. Gee, Sanji's bento probably DOES have a secret compartment for cigarettes, now that I think about it._

_And hey man, don't mess with ZORO'S Luffy, we all know he's secretly a bit possessive over his Captain/random sort-of lover who he picked off the street. And yes, I do plan on bringing in Pirates of the Caribbean, though I'm not sure how. Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter!_

**YuugiLover3:** _Heh, yes, Kingdom Hearts music. I love that song, and it actually fits into the fic very well. It's going to be a plot point, actually. I always choose the sword, it seems like a better weapon to me and I'm more of a "run in and swing your weapon, hopefully you'll hit something" kind of person._

_Indeed, it's a Mystery Bag…though SOMEONE put it there…and it's a good thing you didn't fail Geometry, that'd be bad. I hope I do okay in that class, I'm taking it this year. And Luffy definitely neutralizes all the bad things that happen to Zoro, hee hee. Gah, my first day is August Twenty-ninth….bleck. Oh, and Zoro didn't skip school much, he just slept through all of his classes so he failed everything his freshman year. I'm sorry this chapter was so short, but hopefully it was good!_

**korin-kirin:**_ Zoro did show him around, but he wasn't going to walk around and introduce himself to people. Besides, Luffy would probably end up doing that all by himself, you know? And I'm sorry about giving your fanfic such a bad review…but it –really- needed some work, the characters didn't act like themselves at all and the grammar gave me a big headache._

**Ryu Meijin:**_ Indeed, next time._

**WhiteTigeress666:** _Indeed, girls should leave Zoro and Luffy alone. That way they'll kiss and the girls can be just around the corner taking pictures. And indeed, Kizuma was mean, but as you can see, Luffy is capable of taking care of himself when he needs to. I do so love it when Luffy and Zoro hug, though…_

_**LoOkYiTsSpAm: **Well, Kizuma actually didn't turn out to be much of a problem…the real problems are yet to come! _

**queen of the world:** _Indeed, Luffy and Zoro fluff IS the greatest thing in the world._

**dichana:** _Once again, thank you so much for drawing a picture for this fic! You rock my socks! Yes, I am going camping, it makes me very sad. You need this fic to breathe, and now I can't post any chapters for a week…I'm sorry! Glad you thought the last chapter was cute, I hope you liked this one!_

**Next Chapter:** _Luffy searches for a job and discovers the evil that is homework. Another chapter of seemingly pointless fluff, with just a bit of plot lies ahead!_


	21. Puppies and Zebras

**-Tangled Web-  
A roleplay/joint-fic by Digitaldreamer and Constable Remington  
Chapter Twenty-one: Puppies and Zebras **

_Eeep! Sorry this took so long everyone, I've been so busy that I haven't had time to upload any chapters! As soon as I got back from camping I had to get to work on my cosplay for Otakon and everything…_

_So...yeah. I'm back. Yes I know, happiness and joy. I have returned from camping to find forty-six e-mails in my inbox, most of which were reviews. Just….wow. You're all nuts, you know that? But I love you all! _

_I've gotten two more pieces of fanart for this fic! You people are crazy to actually want to draw fanart for this fic, but I do love you for it. So does Constable. (noddu noddu)_

_So yeah, the first is on livejournal and is by leronze. Tis a picture of kid-Luffy and kid-Ace eating cereal out of coffee mugs, and it's adorable! Much love to her! You can find the picture here, assuming the link shows up: www. Livejournal .com / community / luffyzoro (put an underscore between there two) yaoi /49452.html#cutid1 If the link doesn't show up, just go to livejournal and type in "one piece" in the search bar for interests. Somewhere on the long list of communities that pops up will be one called luffyzoroyaoi…and the picture is there. Yeah._

_The other picture is by KuroKame and it rocks my socks so hard, it's just amazing! It's a picture of the scene where Luffy, Zoro, Nami, and Vivi are clothes shopping and Luffy's apparently just starting his "Zoro says it looks good!" dance. It's absolutely wonderful. www .deviantart. com / view / 21433489 /_

_Soooo…yes. This chapter is dedicated to leronze and KuroKame, because their art rocks my socks! I still lack socks, however…_

_Anyway, chapter time!_

**_---- _**

"Can we go downtown?" Luffy asked as they walked.

"Eh? Downtown?" Zoro shrugged. "Yeah, alright..." The two reached the front doors, moving out into the cool weather. It hadn't rained yet, but the sky had turned darker. "Any reason why?"

"So I can get y-" He suddenly cut himself off by covering his own mouth with his hands, eyes widening a bit. He had almost said it!

Zoro raised an eyebrow, but decided he just wouldn't ask. He swung a leg over his motorcycle, pushing up the kickstand with a foot.

Luffy hopped onto the motorcycle behind Zoro, laughing a bit nervously as he wrapped his arms around the swordsman's waist. "So I can…go look for a job! Yeah! You think they'll have stuff on how to become an ESPN ninja down there?"

Ignoring the last part, Zoro sighed. "I already said you didn't have to get a job... but I won't stop you." He turned the keys in the ignition, hearing the motorcycle rev to life. Pulling from the parking lot, Zoro quickly sped towards downtown.

Luffy forgot about replying about the job thing as the motorcycle sped up, beginning his usual little cheering session as the wind whipped through his hair. It was probably a good thing he couldn't wear his hat with his uniform, or it would have been blown off.

Zoro grinned a little, subconsciously admitting to himself that he went much faster on the motorcycle ever since he had found out how much Luffy liked it. Unfortunately, this always made them reach their destination faster, and Zoro didn't mind the arms wrapped around his waist...

...and goddamnit, but Nami's stupid talk was getting to him!

He parked the motorcycle, sighing a bit and looking over his shoulder towards Luffy.

Luffy let out a "Yippee!" as he hopped off of the motorcycle and onto the sidewalk, uniform jacket flaring behind him. "Now it's time for me to look for a pre- I mean, I job! It'll be the best job EVER!" He cheered, punching his fist into the air.

Zoro moved after him, figuring he'd come in with the boy, saying nothing.

Luffy glanced this way and that, frowning. Sure, getting Zoro a present was all good and fine…but he had no idea what to get him. And how was he supposed to get Zoro something when Zoro was right there? Come to think of it…how was he supposed to buy Zoro something if he didn't have any money?

…This was a problem.

"What are you looking for?" Zoro asked, slightly amused.

Luffy frowned, glancing around. "…something." He said simply.

"Right." Zoro crossed his arms. "Usually when you apply for a job, you have to go inside and get an application."

Luffy nodded. "Um…right…" Maybe he should just do what he said he was going to do first. Then he could look around at shops and hopefully find something.

He glanced around, and his gaze finally settled on a pet shop. He did like animals…and taking care of them could be fun…it couldn't be that hard, right? It wasn't as good as a pirate or an ESPN ninja, but it was a start.

"I'm gonna work in a pet store!" Luffy declared suddenly, charging over to the pet shop. "Yay, puppies!"

Frowning, Zoro followed silently. A pet store job did seem to suit Luffy.

Luffy pushed open the door, glancing around. There were so many awesome animals! That was so cool! But Luffy didn't have time to play with the animals, he needed a job. And so as he strode in, he made sure to make this fact clear to everyone. "I want a job here!" He declared at the top of his lungs.

The woman at the front desk looked up, tucking a lock of aged, grey-streaked hair behind her ear. She gave a good-natured chuckle, waving the young boy over. "You seem like an eager worker." She chuckled a little. "Here, you'll need to fill out an application." She reached under the desk, handing him a piece of paper. "You're lucky, we're in need of a few good hands." She looked up to Zoro. "You want one as well?"

"No," he declined, shaking his head. Zoro really hated the way this place smelled.

Luffy, whom had been momentarily distracted by the kittens, turned at the sound of the paper and grabbed it with a grin. "Thanks lady!" He chirped, immediately sitting down right there in the middle of the store and digging around in his backpack for a pen. spending several minutes searched for one he let out a triumphant "AHA!" and began to fill out the application.

The woman seemed surprised, but she only laughed, turning from the desk and beginning to feed the chittering birds.

The boy frowned down at the paper as he read through it, scribbling things here and there. Previous jobs? Well, he didn't remember, so he just put that. Skills? Well, he loved furry animals…did that count? He got sidetracked because one of the questions was a bit complicated so he started drawing a picture of a kitty on the margins, but he eventually got back on track and finished the application. He then jumped to his feet and rushed over to the woman, holding the paper out to her.

"Done!" He chirped.

"Alright." She smiled, taking it from him. "I'll look over it and give you a call, alright?"

Luffy nodded and grinned, then rushed over to the puppies so fast one would have thought he teleported with the cry of "YAY! Puppies!"

Zoro sighed, turning and following him. The dogs yipped and barked, jumping up and trying to compete for Luffy's attention.

The boy laughed out loud, reaching over the sides of the pen the puppies were in and petting them. "Look at them Zoro! They're all so cute and awesome and playful and fun!" He babbled happily as he stroked the fur of one of the smaller ones and scratched behind the ear of another.

Zoro frowned. "And troublemakers," he pointed out gruffly. Luffy better not want a puppy. There would be no way Zoro would allow that.

"But they're such AWESOME troublemakers!" Luffy squealed, picking one of the puppies up and letting it lick his face. "We should take them all home so they don't have to stay in this icky pen!" He declared.

"I don't think so," Zoro murmured, shaking his head. "They'd drive me crazy. Besides, I don't think Vivi would want us keeping a pet that would wreak havoc and pee all over everyone's things."

Though if they could train it to go in Sanji's room...

Luffy pouted. "Well what if we just took _one_ home then?" He asked.

"...I..." Zoro wanted to say no, but Luffy's face was so... "I don't know, Luffy... you'll have to ask Vivi."

Luffy's face spread into a grin as he hugged the tiny puppy to his chest and stroked its dark brown fur. It was rather small compared to all the other puppies in the litter, probably the runt…but Luffy decided he already liked this one. "So we'll ask Vivi and then if she says yes we'll come back and take him home?" He asked, holding the puppy under his chin and giving Zoro a pleading look.

"I don't know, Luffy..." Zoro was slightly repulsed by the look, nearly taking a step back. Goddamnit, he was having a hard time refusing that. "A puppy is a pretty big responsibility..."

The boy pouted, and the puppy even seemed to be trying to help by giving a small whimper. "Pleeeeeaaase Zoro? I'll take care of him and feed him and get him his own little bed and I'll play with him and I'll love him and I'll clean up his icky poop and I'm sure everyone else in the house will love him and please Zoro? PLEASE?" He begged.

"And in about two months, he'll be five times that size," Zoro muttered, trying not to look at Luffy's face. "Goddamnit, Luffy, we haven't even asked Vivi yet, so just... calm down. If she says it's alright then I guess we can... think about it." He frowned.

"Yaaaaaaaay! Didja hear that Chopper? Zoro said we can think about it!" Luffy cheered, doing a little dance right there in the store with the puppy.

The puppy yipped happy, cuddling into Luffy's chest, and Zoro sighed. Great, Luffy had named the damn thing already.

"Alright, alright, c'mon. Let's get home."

"Awwwwwwwww…okay." Luffy deflated a bit, hugging the puppy a final time before setting it back into its pen. The puppy yelped and whimpered, looking up at Luffy and wagging its tail. Luffy reached down and scratched its head, smiling. "Don't worry Chopper, we'll be back!" He chirped.

Chopper whimpered, lying down, his tail wagging a mile a minute, turning playful, begging eyes up at Zoro, who quickly grabbed Luffy's arm and moved out of the store.

Luffy stared at the pet store longingly for a moment before grinning and racing in the direction of Zoro's motorcycle. "C'mon, c'mon! Let's go convince everyone!" He said. He did stop for a moment, frowning. Wasn't he supposed to do something else down here?

…Oh, he could think of something to get Zoro at home. Besides, the swordsman seemed ready to head back and Luffy didn't want to force him to stay.

With that thought, Luffy continued towards the motorcycle.

Zoro followed, passing Luffy and getting there first. He climbed onto the motorcycle, and, after Luffy had joined him, began the ride back home.

Once they reached the house, Zoro frowned a bit, remembering that he had to work that night. "Luffy," he said as they walked inside. "I have work tonight, so you'll have to stay here."

Luffy cocked his head to the side. "You have work? Where at?" He asked as he kicked off his sneakers.

"...Downtown," he answered. "Far from here. Don't worry about it." He stretched a bit.

Luffy frowned. Vivi didn't know where Zoro worked…and Zoro didn't seem to be giving very straight answers…it was making Luffy very curious. He was tempted to keep pressing for answers, but he probably wouldn't be getting anymore…

…but he was so curious as to what the swordsman actually did. Luffy wanted to know _everything_ about the man that had saved his life. These secrets were a bit frustrating…

Oh well! It was Zoro's business, so Luffy shouldn't press the matter. If Zoro wanted to tell him, then he would…right? Luffy smiled up at Zoro. "Okay, I'll stay here!" He chirped.

"Good." Zoro seemed to let out a sigh of relief. "I'm sure there'll be plenty going on around here, as usual." He seemed to roll his eyes at this.

Luffy beamed. "Right! And there will be more…because now I have to tell them about Chopper!" He declared, and then went in search of Vivi.

Vivi and Nami were sitting in the living room together, watching the latest episode of their television drama and whispering to each other during commericial breaks about plans for the party the next day. Vivi looked up as Luffy entered, smiling and waving to him.

"Welcome home, Luffy," she called.

"VIVI WE HAVE TO GET A PUPPY NOW BECAUSE PUPPIES ARE CUTE AND AWESOME AND WE NEED ONE!" Luffy cried all in one breath, vaulting over the back of the couch and landing between the two girls so he could beg the owner of the house face-to-face.

Shocked, Vivi blinked a few times. "A puppy?" She asked. "Well... you want to take care of one?" She thought about this for a moment. "You'd have to take him on walks every day, you know. We don't have a backyard to let a puppy play out in."

Nami frowned. "A puppy? It had better not pee in my room."

Luffy laughed. "Of course I can take care of him! I'll walk him every day and play with him and feed him and give him baths and clean up his icky poop and come on Vivi! We _need_ a puppy! His name is Chopper and he's cute and you'll all love him and he needs a home!" He clasped his hands together, giving Vivi the same look he had given Zoro earlier. "Pleeeeease?"

Giggling a bit, she seemed to be considering it. Luffy looked so enthusiastic, and Vivi was sure Luffy would be kind and compassionate enough to take care of the little animal and give it what it needed. "Well... if Roronoa-san thinks it's alright, then I'm sure it's fine," she finally replied.

Nami nodded. "As long as the thing's cute and doesn't pee on my stuff." She agreed.

Luffy let out a whoop of joy and hopped off the couch, rushing around frantically as he searched for Zoro. "Zoro, Zoro!"

The swordsman had been standing in the doorway listening to the conversation and he sighed a little, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah, yeah, I heard."

"So can we get Chopper? Please? Please?" Luffy pleaded, jumping up and down.

"Right now?" Zoro asked, incredulous. He should have known this was coming.

Luffy nodded, still bouncing excitedly. "Yeah, yeah!"

"You can't get him tonight, the place is closed by now!" Nami pointed out from the couch.

The boy visibly deflated at that. "Awwwwww…"

Zoro patted a hand awkwardly over Luffy's hair. "We'll go after school tomorrow, alright?"

Luffy perked up again. "We will? YOSH!" He cheered, latching onto Zoro's waist. "Thank you Zoro!" He then frowned. Wait…Zoro's birthday was tomorrow.

Oh well! It would be a good way to keep Zoro out of the house, right?

Zoro seemed to be thinking the same thing. Wonderful. It would be his birthday, and he would be getting... a puppy.

Not that it mattered or anything.

"Yeah, yeah, sure." He patted Luffy's shoulder a bit.

Luffy beamed at Zoro for a moment before releasing him and rushing into the kitchen. "And now I'm gonna get a SNACK!" He declared.

_And try and think up a birthday present for Zoro._ He mentally added.

Sanji glanced over his shoulder from cleaning some dishes as Luffy walked in. He lifted a hand in a wave, gesturing towards the table.

"I figured you'd want something." He sighed. "The way you eat is going to keep me holed up in here constantly."

"Thank you Sanji!" Luffy said with a laugh, plopping down at the table next to Usopp. The other junior was munching on a piece of toast and already doing his homework. The boy grabbed a handful of chips and munched on them, glancing over Usopp's shoulder. He made a face. "We actually have to do that stuff?"

Ussop nodded as he took a bite of his toast.

Luffy sighed, but after a few moments of watching Ussop work he decided to pull out his own homework and work on it as well.

"Sooooo, did you guys hear? We're getting a puppy!" Luffy said as he munched on another chip.

"A puppy?" Sanji glanced up again, eyebrow raised. "You're gonna take care of one?" He shook his head.

The boy nodded, grinning widely. "Yup! I'm gonna take really good care of it!"

Ussop's face was one of boyish excitement. "A puppy? What kind?"

Luffy shrugged. "I don't know, but he's cute and I named him Chopper!"

Ussop frowned. "Chopper? That's not a very cool name. You should name him…I don't know, but something cooler than Chopper."

Luffy stuck out his tongue. "Chopper is too a cool name! I like it, so that's his name!"

Ussop sighed, shaking his head. "You have no taste when it comes to names…"

Sanji could only laugh a little.

"It's a weird name," he agreed, sitting at the table and peering over at Luffy's homework.

Luffy pouted. "It is not! It's an awesome name, the most awesome name ever!" He declared as he continued to do his work…managing to get every problem completely wrong.

Ussop glanced over Luffy's shoulder and sighed, shaking his head. "Oi, Luffy, Stalin was not the president of the United States during the American Revolution."

Luffy blinked. "Oh. Then when was he president?"

Ussop rolled his eyes. "He never _was_ president; he was the freaky dictator of Russia."

"Oh."

Laughing a bit, Sanji grinned. "Nami-san is so smart, I bet she'd help you with your homework." He paused. "She'd make you pay her, though..."

Luffy sighed. "Well, I don't even have any money to buy Zoro a birthday present, so I can't ask her for help."

Ussop laughed, patting Luffy on the back. "Don't worry, you've got me! I'm the Great Captain Ussop-sama; I know everything there is to know! Ask me anything and I'll gladly lend you my amazing knowledge, free of charge!"

The boy gasped and clapped. "Wow! Really?"

"Yup! Why, back at my old school they called me The Great Genius Ussop-sama!" Ussop declared, posing dramatically.

"WOOOOOW, SO COOL!" Luffy gasped in awe.

"Yup! Now let's see here…" Ussop said as he took Luffy's paper. His expression slowly became more hopeless as he glanced over each answer. "You really _did_ forget everything, didn't you?"

Luffy just laughed. Ussop sighed and shook his head. "Right, let's get started then.."

Zoro had moved up the stairs when Luffy had gone into the kitchen, changing out of the irritating and restrictive school uniform and into something more comfortable. He reached for the letter he had tucked away that the woman had given him the day before, detailing his mission, and slid the envelope open, looking it over.

Meanwhile, Luffy and Ussop had apparently finished with history and were now starting on geometry. Usopp stared down at the paper in shock. "…Luffy?"

"Yes?"

"How on earth did you work out that Y equals…zebra?" Usopp asked, gesturing to the doodle of a zebra at the end of the horribly messy and obviously wrong equation.

Luffy shrugged. "Well, the shape kinda looked like a zebra…"

"It was a cube, Luffy."

"Well, it looked like a zebra cage at the zoo!"

"So you figured that the area of the cube was ZEBRA?"

"Well, yeah."

Usopp slapped his forehead. "You're hopeless." He muttered.

"How the hell did you pass the entrance exam?" Sanji asked, now beginning to cook dinner. He sat at the table, peeling and cutting potatoes.

Luffy shrugged, balancing a pencil on his nose. "I dunno. Hey, you're gonna be making meat with those potatoes, riiiiight?"

Usopp.whacked the pencil from Luffy's nose. "Focus Luffy, focus! You're obviously in this class by some fluke, and now you're stuck here. The least you can do is at least _try_ to understand so you pass…with my help you could probably get a C or higher if you tried really hard. That's good, seeing as at the rate you're going you're going to fail everything and live in a cardboard box on the side of the road…so a C is probably your best bet."

"I like C's. They're not D's or F's!" Luffy chirped helpfully.

Usopp beamed. "Good. If you like C's, then you'd better start paying attention." He said, shoving the pencil into Luffy's hands.

Luffy beamed as well and began to get to work.

Sanji hadn't answered Luffy's question, only laughed. He remembered when he had been in school -- distracted by all the pretty girls, yeah, but he'd never actually thought that safari animals had anything to do with the cube root of y.

Luffy paid very close attention as Usopp attempted to explain, occasionally giving comments like "So does the zebra eat the square root?" to which Usopp immediately replied with "NO!"

They worked for several hours on homework, going far slower than usual since Usopp was helping Luffy, but they were making progress. Finally Ussop sat back, groaning. "There…all done…" He said, sounding exhausted.

"YAAAAAAAY!" Luffy cheered, waving his several pages of finished homework in the air. "I'm all done and I sort of get it now and it's all thanks to you, Usopp." With that, he flung his arms around Usopp and squeezing him tightly. "Thank you Usopp!"

Usopp perked up, grinning. "Heh…you're welcome. Now stop hugging me before Zoro comes down and bites off my head for letting his boyfriend hug me…"

Luffy laughed, releasing Usopp and doing a little dance around the kitchen. "My homework is DONE! And I'm SMARTER NOW! Yosha!" He cheered.

"You didn't object to that," Sanji noted, turning from the hot stove for a moment with a grin. "So what's the deal with you and the marimo anyway, now that he's not around to deny everything?"

Luffy paused in his dancing for a moment, frowning. Then he shrugged. "The deal? I dunno. I like being around him…and being close to him…and…I dunno how he feels…and I'm a boy and his friend so that makes me his boyfriend doesn't it?" He asked, looking horribly confused.

He liked being close to Zoro….and was happy just being around the swordsman…was that any different from just being a regular friend? Or was it different? Hmm…

"Hmm..." Sanji thought on this for a moment, not taking it too seriously, grin still apparent on his face. "Well, you have to follow your heart, you know," he advised. Sanji the Love Cook to the rescue! "If you love someone, you'll be able to feel it when you get close to them, yeah? You can tell, because the feeling is different than from being around anyone else."

Luffy cocked his head to the side. "Different from being around anyone else, hm?" He frowned, scratching his head as he pondered this. Well…being around Zoro did feel a bit different than being around anyone else. Everyone else was fun, sure…but not like Zoro. Zoro was the first one he saw when he woke up, the one he'd been around the most…and things were never quite the same without him. In the few days that he had been here, Luffy had grown to care deeply for the swordsman…

…Maybe this was what the 'mystery feeling' meant?

Or maybe it just meant he was hungry, as his stomach felt the need to remind him with a loud growl.

Luffy groaned, hugging his stomach. "I'm hungry! When's dinner, Sanji?"

"Well, try not to think too hard about it," Sanji finally answered with an exasperated sigh. "Dinner'll be ready soon, why don't you go tell everyone it's time?"

"Okay!" Luffy said with a grin, stuffing his things back into his backpack so he could take them upstairs. Once this task was complete he rushed into the living room, skidding to a stop directly in the front of the TV.

"Luffy! Move, Greg and Gloria are having an argument!" Nami shrieked.

"But Sanji told me to tell you that dinner's gonna be ready soon!" Luffy said excitedly, jumping up and down.

"Alright, we'll be there in a minute, it's almost over," Vivi said quickly, trying to watch what little of the screen was visible around Luffy.

"Okay!" With that Luffy bounded out of the room and headed up the stairs, his steps ridiculously loud. He sped past his and Zoro's room, planning on stopping there last and dropping off his stuff so he could change out of his uniform. He reached Robin's door and banged on it. "ROOBIIINNN!"

A few seconds passed and then Robin peeked her head out of her room. "Yes?"

Luffy beamed. "Dinner's gonna be ready in a few minutes!"

Robin smiled. "Okay then, I'll be down there." She said. With that, she closed her door.

Luffy wasted no time in charging back to his and Zoro's room, throwing open the door with a yell. "ZORO! Dinner's gonna be ready in a few minutes!" He cried as he flung himself across the room and onto the bed.

Looking up from where he had been sitting in the chair, books balanced on his knees, Zoro nodded, hardly phased by Luffy's energy. "Mmn, alright," he said, closing the damn textbook and sighing. He stood, stretching a little.

Luffy dropped his book bag onto the floor, pulling off his school jacket and tie. He made sure to show his contempt for the tie by tossing it across the room and sticking his tongue out at it. He then hopped off the bed and went over to his bag of clothes, going through them. "I'm gonna change!" He declared loudly, as if this was something everyone needed to know.

"...Okay," Zoro responded, staring at the tie. He didn't like the damn thing either, but Luffy's drastic responses to it were rather comical.

Luffy eventually picked out ANOTHER hoodie, this one being a light blue one with white sleeves, with glittery blue flames decorating the white. Also, etched on the front were the words "angel" in glittery letters, along with little chibi wings. He picked out a pair of simple dark blue jeans to go along with this and quickly pulled the clothes on.

Yes, Nami had chosen the girly-est clothes she could get away with choosing, and Luffy apparently didn't notice or didn't care. Apparently he thought they were the coolest things since oxygen.

After pulling these on he glanced around frantically. "Hat? Where's my hat?" He cried.

Zoro made a face at the clothing choice, but sighed, pointing towards the bedside table, where the beat-up straw hat lie. "Right there."

"YOSH!" Luffy cheered, rushing across the room and placing the battered object on his head as if it were holy.

"You really like that thing," Zoro remarked, raising an eyebrow towards it.

Luffy beamed, patting the hat. "Yup! It's my treasure." He said with a nod. "Now come on, let's go eat food!" With that, he rushed out of the room and down the stairs.

Zoro sighed. How could something you only got a day ago be your treasure? Still, he wordlessly followed Luffy down the stairs, the smell of good food flowing through the house.

---

**To be continued **

_Well, there you all go. There's Chopper. Many of you have requested that he appear, and here he is! I know someone asked if they could appear in the fic with a Chopper shirt…well, we'll see if I can still fit that in. I make no promises. _

_So…yeah…review time!_

**AlibisDragon:**_ Indeed, our chapters of Tangled Web are extra fluffy. Like marshmallows, except they might not taste so sweet as things move on… _

**KuroKame:** _You bounce with joy every time you see an update for this fic? That's great, because I think I had a heart attack from joy after seeing your fanart. Thank you so much yet again!_

_Last chapter was awesome with a capital A? Well, that's good to hear. Indeed, watching Luffy fight is awesome. Never stops being awesome, I tell ye._

_As for the Seventh Guest, YAY you updated! As soon as I'm not so busy I simply must read it! Huzzah and joy!_

**The Plushie Bandit:**_I'm sure Zoro's shocked by Luffy's mad fighting skills on the inside. Yus. He's just too stoic to admit it. This is your main source of Zoro/Luffy? Um….wow. I feel special._

**Mai Hayami:** _Oh, I thought you meant Nami's friends. Whoops. As for the predictions, I actually wasn't gonna do that, but that's actually a pretty good idea…and Luffy hasn't been in the spotlight? O.o Weird, I never noticed. Probably cause at the moment he's supposed to be sorta mysterious. And we didn't mess up on the last paragraph, it's correct._

**Pink Feline:**_ You're envious of our writing? Um…wow…I'm flattered. Hope you enjoyed the latest chapter!_

**Hasuko:** _Yes, homework is t3h evil. And I hope you liked the fluffage!_

**YuugiLover3:**_ Heh! I'm glad the quote made you "woot" outloud. It was just such a perfect place to stick it in, I couldn't resist! And I'm glad Luffy got to beat up Kizuma too, mainly cause I got to write it and prove that Luffy is not a weepy uke. Yay. Yup, Zoro watched the whole fight, though his thoughts on the matter shall remain disclosed. And why would I tell you to leave this fic? I'd miss your wonderful reviews! This chapter took even longer than I planned for it to be finished, but I'm glad I finally got it up!_

**WhiteTigeress666:**_ I honestly don't know how we do it either. I just type a few paragraphs, she types afew paragraphs, and I constantly dream up plot schemes. Somehow this all meshes together to form something like a good fic. _

**koku-kirin:** _Ack, sorry I messed up on your penname! Hopefully it's right this time. Yeah…um, well, I'm American. Yeah. Good for me. And Luffy in a gym outfit is the cutest thing ever, me thinks._

**LoOkYiTsSpAm:**_ Well, the surprise party isn't for another bit, but it shall be…well, interesting to say the least._

**dichana:** _You were frozen for five minutes because I dedicated the chapter to you? Wow, glad it made you so happy. It's really the least I could do after you made such a wonderful picture for this fic, somehow just dedicating the chapter to you doesn't feel like it's nearly enough in return. But hey, if it made you happy! And as you can see, your predictions were right when it came to Luffy and homework, heh. Wow, we get a cheerleader supporter? SWEET!_

_O.O Would it be fine if you drew more art for this fic? YES IT WOULD! It wouldn't just be fine, it would be the greatest thing ever! If you draw any more art for this fic, I will squee happily. Your art rocks and art for this fic is loved and cared for like a newborn puppy._

**Dark Angel Kira:**_ Gee, will Luffy get in trouble? We'll see…_

**Icy Sapphire15:**_ Heh! Nothing like that happened to me on my first day…of course, my first day wasn't like Luffy's either. Shame. And yes, Luffy is truly an upper guy._

**Raikou Ikazuchi: **_Heh, glad you liked the quote. Sadly, I doubt quotes from the original One Piece will bring back many memories in an AU. XD But still, I do heart the Kuro arc. Kuro rocked my socks. I'm glad Luffy beating Kizuma surprised you. Yeah, he may act kind of dumb, but he's pretty strong and can be smart when he needs to be! That smartness comes in when it's needed for this type of scene, and I'm glad you enjoyed it. I definitely don't mind you clogging up my inbowwith awesome reviews. Nope, not at all. So sad the cut off your review. And I can't even say if Luffy has a yami or not, nor if it's solid...but I can say thatthe Straw Hat definitely does not act as the MilleniumPuzzle. XD _

Your friends think Luffy is whore and Zoro's a pimp? XD You're obviously explaining things wrong. I can't believe you're actually recommending this fic to people! Just wow...and yes, ZoLu fluff is indeed the greatest. Yes.

You rock, you win a cookie.

**Shi Rurouni of the Aphrodesiac:** _That is one long penname you've got there…anyway! You're one of the few who anticipated Luffy beating Kizuma, that's nice to see. And you're also one of the ones who think characters are loveable when they're in pain, yosh! And much pain he will be in, this fic is categorized in angst for a reason…mwa ha ha…_

**Chakenmo:**_ Heh, glad that you enjoyed reading through what we've got so far, I do hope you stick with us for the rest of the long, hopefully enjoyable ride._

**Sofia:** _Wow, this is your favorite One Piece fanfic? Well, I'm glad you liked the last chapter, I hope you liked this one!_

**Griffingurl:** _Yes, hooray for fluff and Ace. We'll get some fleeting mentions of Ace soon, I'm hoping…we'll see how things go._

**eclipse-moon:** _Well, I'm glad you didn't abandon this fic! So sad that you can't see the picture, though! And I think Luffy would actually be proud of his ESPN NINJA PIRATE title._

**Angel of the Mirror:**_ It's alright, you don't have to feel bad for not reviewing all the new chapters, so long as you review when you can! I hope the bits of fluff in this chapter made you happy!_

**Mixie D Luffy:** _Wow, our fic has impressed you? I feel special. I'm curious as to what made to stray away at first though? You don't have to answer, but I'm quite curious! You read nine chapters nonstop? Wow. And then the other chapters two days afterward…heh, I'm glad this fic is good enough to keep people reading through chapters like that! As for what's in store for Zoro and Luffy…well, I can't say, but I can say it's going to be big, then proceed to cackle insanely and mutter to myself about the plot. Glad you _like_ the fic, and I do hope you enjoyed this chapter._

**Ryu Meijin:** _Why wouldn't I make Luffy a fighter? To make him not be would be denying his personality! Luffy needs asses to kick, and he will get them…oh yes._

**femaleivt:** _Glad you think the fic is awesome, and I do hope you enjoyed the new chapter!_

**Nico Robin Chan:** _Well, go on and read the last few chapters! Wait…if you're reading this, then you probably already read them…oh well, I do hope you enjoyed them!_

**Kyonkichi13:**_ Well, if you had read the authors notes than you would have seen that I was away camping for a week, and the wilderness generally doesn't have computers with internet connections. Thus, no updates. But I've finally updated, so I hope you're happy._

**Kai:** _Being a combat junkie is fun, I guess. But where was there kissing?_

**KairiQueen:** _Wow, three reviews. You rock, Wish. You're an honorary ESPN ninja now from Kookieya, the village of sugar. Feel proud. And hey, they'll kiss soon! Be patient, it's coming! And Zoro wasn't flirting in Hide and Seek…or was he? Perhaps he did so sub-conciously…hmmm…_

_As for the dream sequence, maybe it was Luffy and maybe it wasn't. I'm telling nothing. I will say that the person in Zoro's dream is very odd, he tends to remember things in huge spurts. He's weird like that, or else he just remembered the entire time and he just enjoys irking Zoro. Which answer is true? The world may never know. Of course Luffy's favorite class is lunch, it's got meat! And Luffy didn't get into the grade on his own….but I'm not explaining how. I doubt Luffy strikes anyone as smart, though. And of course you don't like Kizuma, you're not supposed to like him. But Kizuma doesn't want to rape Luffy, whatever gave you that idea?_

_I'm glad chapter twenty was your favorite chapter! That makes me happy. Glad that the Luffy and Kizuma came off well, I was so worried that it would be out of character! Glad we managed to pull it off. Such a shame Luffy doesn't have his Gomu Gomu powers…ah well._

_And if you hire a plane to do that, I'll have a heart attack. Half from happiness, half from embarrassment because anyone else who sees the plane will be so confused. XD_

**MeraNova:**_ Ohio is a sad place, then. Very sad._

_**Next Chapter:** Zoro's got work, and Luffy is so insanely curious as to what Zoro's job is. Will he do as he said and stay, or will he follow Zoro? Hmmm…tough question. Only one way to find out, wait for the next chapter!_


	22. Zoro's Job

**-Tangled Web-  
A role-play/joint-fic by Digitaldreamer and Constable Remington  
Chapter Twenty-two: Zoro's job **

_So…I'm currently updating from my best friend Kaya's house. Well, not really, because I'm typing up authors notes and what not so I can update TW from her house while I'm there, but when it's actually up I will be updating from there so yeah. _

_Kaya's my best friend in the whole wide world, she's pretty much an older sister to me. We met online two years back, and I'm really excited because I finally get to see her in person!_

_Why am I visiting? For Otakon, of course! We're going to Otakon together as Yoh and Hao from Shaman King. If you go there and see us, do come up and say hi! If you say you're a Tangled Web reader I'll probably crush you when I hug you. XP_

_I'm selling pictures there for like a dollar or so if anyone asks (since I lack a table), so if you walk up and ask for a picture I'll draw it for you right there. If you say you're a Tangled Web reader, you only have to pay fifty cents. Pretty cheap, but I think that's enough. For a look at my art you can check out my account name there is Dreamwish!_

_So if you're at Otakon and spot me, please come up and say hi!_

_In other news, more fanart was drawn for this fic! www. Deviantart .com / view / 21592802 /_

_I love it, it's so awesome! But I can't dedicate another chapter to the artist, cause you can't dedicate something twice. So instead Dichana gets a cookie and much recognition and what not. You should all go look at her pictures, they're amazing! Go on, shoo!_

_I'm dedicating this chapter to Kaya, because without her I wouldn't be half of the author and artist that I am today._

_---_

"Foooooooooood!" Luffy yelled as he rushed into the kitchen and sat down. "Ha! I was here first!"

"…I'm still sitting here." Usopp pointed out.

"You don't count cause you were already here!" Luffy declared, sticking out his tongue.

Zoro followed in, sitting beside Luffy in front of a steaming plate of food and beginning to eat, knowing his food would be the first to go when Luffy finished his own.

And that was indeed true, as Luffy finished his food at his usual lightning speed and began stealthily (for Luffy, anyway) reaching for Zoro's plate.

Catching his hand, Zoro grabbed his plate, trying to move it away. "I don't think so," he grinned, raising his elbow in an attempt to keep Luffy back.

Luffy let out a whine and began reaching for the plate with his other hand. "You don't see me move, for I am a NINJA!" he declared as he struggled to reach for Zoro's plate.

"I see you move," Zoro grumbled blandly. "And you're not getting any of my damn food." He stood from the table, moving away to eat quickly off his own plate.

"Awwww…" Luffy pouted for a few seconds before making a mad grab for Usopp's food. Usopp stopped him, and after several attempts at everyone's meals Luffy finally seemed to figure out that he wouldn't be getting any more. So he just sat there and pouted for awhile, but pouting got boring so he began rambling about the puppy and how awesome it was going to. "Awwww…" Luffy pouted for a few seconds before making a mad grab for Usopp's food. Usopp stopped him, and after several attempts at everyone's meals Luffy finally seemed to figure out that he wouldn't be getting any more. So he just sat there and pouted for awhile, but pouting got boring so he began rambling about the puppy and how awesome it was going to be.

Finishing dinner, Zoro dumped his plate into the sink with a loud clatter.

"I've got work," he said quietly, moving from the kitchen. "I'll be home late." Taking the stairs two at a time, Zoro retrieved his swords from his room, slipping them into his belt quietly and beginning back down the stairs and out the door.

Everyone at the table gave various mumbled goodbyes before returning to their conversations and their religious guarding of their food…everyone but one, that is.

Luffy blinked, pausing in his rambling as Zoro spoke up and left for his room. Work? Already? But they were just finishing with dinner…

The boy watched as Zoro went past the kitchen door again on his way out, blinking at the sight of his swords.

Why did Zoro need swords for his job? Luffy may have forgotten a lot, but he was pretty sure most jobs didn't involve swords….maybe Zoro taught people how to fight with swords? But there weren't any dojo's in the area…maybe he chopped down trees? Nah, Zoro wouldn't waste his skills on some crummy job like that…

…Then what on earth was Zoro's job? Luffy frowned, folding his arms and cocking his head to the side as he thought. He sure was curious….and Zoro didn't seem too eager to tell anyone what his job was. And Luffy _really_ wanted to know what the swords were for, he was sure it was something really cool. But Zoro probably wasn't going to tell him anytime soon…and Luffy just couldn't wait to find out!

What if he followed the swordsman? He would be all stealthy like the ninja! Luffy would just follow him there, watch to see what the older man did, then go back home and Zoro would never be the wiser! Yes, it was a perfect plan!

However, Luffy had said he would stay here at the boarding house...

…but he was so curious!

Nami watched Luffy from across the table, brows furrowing. Luffy was being quiet? This couldn't have been a good thing.

The boy sat there for a few moments, trying to decide what he should do. Eventually his curiosity must have become a bit too much, as he promptly stood and rushed over to dump his plates into the sink.

"I have to go to the bathroom!" He announced, charging out of the room.

"Well, that was weird," Sanji commented, but then again, so was Luffy. He continued eating with a shrug, boredly asking Usopp how the comics were coming.****

Zoro, meanwhile, was walking down the city street in the dim of the night, the streetlamps just beginning to light themselves around him. He had no idea of Luffy's thoughts, his mind straying to his mission. All he had to do was protect some big business official or something. Apparently the business had been using its outside connections to do under-the-table drug deals, and some crime boss' gang had gotten jealous of competition in the market and was trying to assassinate those involved on the other end. Zoro could hardly care for politics -- he didn't know why those damn idiots had bothered to tell him all the background information -- but at least they had stayed loyal to his request and not given him any names.

Zoro didn't deal in names. He didn't want to know them. He just wanted to do his job, get his training, get his money, get the fuck out.

These were the only thoughts in his mind as he reached the lonely street corner he had been told to meet the man at. He was to escort this guy to some kind of negotiating meeting with the other crime boss and ensure nobody ended up dead.

Why? Because Baroque Works was paying him to -- and somebody had probably paid Baroque Works to pay him too. He didn't care.

Luffy didn't go to the bathroom. Instead he rushed into the rec room and tugged at the glass door leading outside. After a few moments he finally figured out that it was locked and unlocked it, then tugged the door open and hopped out into alleyway behind the house.

He wasted no time in vaulting over the fence that separated the alleyway behind the house from the alleyway next to it. The boy then sprinted down this alleyway, sending old newspapers and bits of trash flying in his wake.

The dark-haired boy skidded to a stop on the sidewalk, glancing around frantically. Finally he spotted the swordsman's retreating back and the boy grinned, beginning to follow the swordsman as quietly as he could.

Zoro didn't notice Luffy following him. He waited quietly at the street corner, alert and on-guard. Finally, a shivering, rail-thin man appeared from the shadows, mopping his forehead with a pinstriped handkerchief.

"Are you... Roronoa Zoro?" he asked, and Zoro gave a short nod, eyebrow raised.

"You're the one I'm supposed to be leading, I assume," he muttered, and the man gave a stiff nod.

Luffy caught up to Zoro, ducking behind a nearby stairwell. He peeked over the top of the concrete wall, frowning. "…'Leading'? Zoro's a tour guide? This late at night?"

Zoro turned, glancing around. Sensing no danger, he frowned and began to move down the street in the dim of the lamplights, glancing over his shoulder. He thought for sure he had heard a familiar soft voice -- but he was probably just hearing things.

"All right. Come on. Stick close, can't have you dying on me," he gruffed, and the man quickly moved to walk closer to him, squeaking a bit at this thought.

The place wasn't far, and Zoro moved knowledgeably down the streets. It had taken a long time, but he knew this city pretty well, and it was rare that he got lost now, luckily. They soon reached a large warehouse, and Zoro moved towards the door, knocking at it. There was a long pause before the door swung open, and Zoro moved in first, followed by the business man, now shaking.

Luffy was now hiding behind a building not to far away, and he blinked at the warehouse. "…It's just a regular warehouse? Why does the tour lead there?" This was really weird and confusing. This entire thing was a bit strange, and Luffy had a bad feeling in his gut. There was something fishy about this place…

Maybe something important would be happening inside?

The boy ran to try and get into the door before it closed, but just as he reached it the metal door banged shut. Luffy panted and glared at the door. Now what?

The warehouse was dark inside, and Zoro frowned a bit, tuning his ear to listen for noises before his eyes could adjust. A light was flicked on, and Zoro's hand went quickly to his katana, cracking the sword from his sheathe with a thumb, just a little bit, just in case. There was a tall woman standing before them -- perhaps she was the gatekeeper. Either way, she smiled absently towards them, and Zoro frowned, not at all dropping his guard. Gangs and crime rings worked in strange ways, this much he knew, and he wouldn't be surprised if this innocent-looking blonde was actually a deadly assassin.

Instead of drawing arms, however, the young woman only tilted her head. Zoro followed the motion, noticing they were in a small hallway. It was dank and gray and dingy, only one small light bulb on a string hanging from the ceiling to illuminate it.

"Master Ener has been waiting for you," she said softly. "He does not like being kept, so perhaps it would be wise to meet him."

Zoro said nothing. This part wasn't any of his concern. He didn't give a damn. All he was supposed to do was protect this guy. The business idiot was the one who was supposed to be doing the negotiation part.

The man nodded softly, beginning to move down the hall, but Zoro stayed ahead of him. It wasn't long until they reached the door. Glancing behind him, Zoro's eyes brushed the man's face, who gave a curt nod. Zoro took this as his signal, and, one hand still on the partially-cracked Wadou, the swordsman twisted the doorknob and pushed the door open.

It opened into a lavish room, a sharp contrast to the hallway before them. It was decorated in deep purples and blues, tapestries lining the golden walls, large, plush furniture surrounding a pool table off to the side and, most importantly, a big couch-like lounging throne, on which sat a man wearing a white dress-suit who looked to be relaxing, both arms folded behind his head, surrounded by scantily-clad girls who looked idle for now.

Zoro was disgusted. People really lived like this? And to think that these people so far into crime made money off of other's suffering in order to have the life they did...

...but, he reminded himself, he was neutral. He didn't care.

The man looked up from the couch, a wide, crazed smirk on his face.

"You must be the guard," he said, a pointed stare towards the katana at Zoro's side. Zoro said nothing. A few of the girls who had looked up were giggling. "And you're the man of the hour!" he continued, looking towards the businessman Zoro had led. "I'm Ener. I'm sure it's a pleasure. Please, have a seat."

The businessman gulped, glancing around the room nervously as he seated himself in one of the chairs across from Ener. The man was sweating profusely, and he tugged on his collar as if it were extremely hot in the room.

Noticing the man's blatant nervousness, Ener threw back his head, laughing. The girls around him all began to laugh too, their voices ringing through the room like bells. Zoro shifted in irritation. Ener's laugh died down, and he raised a hand, cutting the girls off, too.

"Darling, calm down," he said, smirking as he stretched a bit. "We're only here to talk, right?" A dangerous glint in his eyes directed itself to Zoro. "Have a seat, swordsman."

"I'll stand," Zoro said gruffly, and he and Ener stared for a long moment before the gangster finally looked away with another brief laugh.

---

Meanwhile, Luffy was pacing outside of the warehouse, trying to find another way in. After a minute or so of tugging on the door he had finally figured out that it was locked and he probably wouldn't be getting in that way. Therefore, he decided to try and find another way in.

Now, he could have just left with what he knew and gone home. But Luffy wasn't satisfied, so far what he had found had given him more questions than answers. And things really seemed fishy…there was something up, and Luffy was determined to find out what it was.

Never mind that secret dealings in warehouses generally weren't viewed as safe, fun recreational activities.

The boy made his way around the warehouse, searching for a window. Eventually he found one, but it was rather high up. Luffy frowned up at it, making a face. No fair! How dare the window be so high up? How was Luffy supposed to get up there so he could get in and see what Zoro was doing?

Maybe if he jumped? But it was a pretty high window, a good four feet over his head. He'd have to jump at least his height to get up to the tiny window. It seemed kind of impossible…

But Luffy really wanted to see what was going on in there.

The dark-haired teen grinned. It was just a window, and it wasn't going to beat him.

---

"So," Ener began, smirk still evident on his face. "Your company has sent you for what reason again?"

The skinny man swallowed, adjusting his wire-rimmed glasses. "W-well…Ener-san….your gang has been the one assassinating our officials, correct?"

"Mmn, that's right," Ener said shortly, examining his fingernails. "We're not too pleased that your company is making money off our business, you see." He smirked. "Not too pleased at all."

"This is about the drug market, then?" The businessman bit his lip. After a few moments of silence he spoke. "What is it you want?"

---

Meanwhile, skinny, tan fingers brushed against the concrete wall, missing the window ledge by a good foot or so.

Luffy stood and panted for a moment, then jumped again. He missed once again, his palm this time scraping against the rough wall.

The boy yelped in pain, landing on his knees and glancing down at the wound. Blood was beginning to spring up from the wound, bright crimson against his skin. Luffy winced and licked his palm in an attempt to make it not sting as much, then made another jump.

"Damnit! I just can't get high enough!" he whined as he landed on the hard ground yet again, hugging his arms around himself as the wind blew. It was a chilly night, and the storm that had been gathering all day rumbled over-head as the first few drops of rain began to fall.

After several minutes of failed attempts Luffy glanced up at the window ledge once more, biting his lip. "Come on, you can do it…" he muttered to himself as he bent his knees, preparing for yet another jump.

"_For the love of…you're never going to make it up there like that! Fine, I'll help. But only this once, as I'm curious as well."_ a cold voice murmured, sounding a bit annoyed.__

The boy blinked in confusion, standing up straight again and glanced around for the source of the voice. "Who was that?" he asked aloud. He could see nothing in the dark, and no matter how he strained his ears, he couldn't seem to hear the voice among the pattering of the rain.

Maybe he had just been imagining things?

Luffy shook his head, now thoroughly soaked locks of black hair going everywhere. He then bent his knees once more and licked his lips.

He tensed, then jumped, sailing into the air with ease and landing with his feet on the ledge of the window. The boy yelped in surprise, wind-milling his arms for a few moments before catching himself.

He certainly hadn't expected to be able to jump that high, that was for sure. How had he done that?

Oh well, no time to question it. He had to go see what was going on in the warehouse. Luffy rubbed droplets of rain from the glass and peered into the warehouse. His brow furrowed as he glanced inside, he couldn't make anything out.

Guess he'd just have to go inside then.

With that thought Luffy tugged at the bottom of the window…and surprisingly, it opened. Luffy didn't even bother to wonder why the window of some secret warehouse was open; he just gave an inward squeal of glee because it was and slid into the warehouse.

---

"What is it that we want..." Ener repeated, trailing off thoughtfully. He laughed a bit. "We want our control back, that's what we want. Unfortunately, that can't be had with your precious company in the picture. I'm sure you understand."

Zoro tilted his head. He was certain he had heard something thump outside the room.

The man shook his head, wringing his hands. "I cannot give you that….we're making a lot of money on that market, you see. I don't think the president of the company would wish to give that up. Perhaps…perhaps we could merge? Then our companies could share the business?"

Luffy had landed behind a pile of boxes. He shook his head as if to clear it, and then stood. He could hear voices coming from somewhere nearby…

He followed the voices, occasionally tripping over a box here and there. Eventually he reached a door, which was slightly ajar, from where the voices the voices were coming from. Luffy walked quietly up to it, peeking through the crack in the door.

There was Zoro with his back to him, along with the man from before. There were also several girls and a new guy…Luffy didn't like the new guy, he had a funny look about him.

It sure was a nice room, but what was going on?

"Merge..." Ener looked towards his group of girls, reaching out to daintily pet one's hair against her head. She hummed in delight. Zoro frowned a bit. "I don't know about that. What do you think, girls?"

The girls simply laughed, and Ener soon joined them. Zoro didn't exactly think this was going well.

The man just sat there, face growing red. He gave a nervous laugh, saying nothing.

Luffy blinked in confusion. Why was the word "merge" funny?

"It's a shame we cannot have similar opinions, you know," Ener said with a yawn. "I'd love to let you live."

Zoro tensed and completely unsheathed his sword, throwing it up over the man's head to protect him at the exact time one of the girls had jumped up with her own, swinging it down. The two katana made a loud clang over the man's head, and Zoro growled.

"Get out of the way!" he shouted to the businessman, trying to push the woman's sword off of his. Zoro had no qualms fighting women -- in his eyes, girls were the same as boys when it came to swordsmanship, and that was that. He would not go easy on her, and he hoped she wasn't expecting it.

The businessman gave a shrill cry and ducked under Zoro's arm, making a run for the door…

And he ended up running into Luffy, whom let out a yelp as he found himself suddenly on the ground with the thin businessman on top of him. "H-hey, get off of me!" he cried, flailing his arms and legs.

Upon hearing Luffy's voice, Zoro's arm faltered in surprise, and the woman took advantage of this, bringing her katana around to cleanly slice deep against Zoro's stomach. He cried out in pain, arm going, for a moment, to cover over his wound, before Zoro knew he couldn't take a moment for weakness. He unsheathed a second katana, hissing in pain but swinging towards the woman either way. What the hell was Luffy doing here!

Luffy, upon hearing Zoro's cry, shoved himself up so he was on his knees, sending the businessman tumbling off. "Zoro?" he called, then yelped as a katana came swinging down. He rolled to the side, kicking the businessman by accident and managing to knock him out of the way as well.

Oh yeah, the guards had noticed him now.

The boy jumped to his feet, narrowly dodging a second swing. "What's going on? Is this your job?"

"I told you to stay home!" Zoro cried, trying to block the swings as well. Ener was gone when he looked back, and they were surrounded by his group of six or seven girls, each brandishing katana. Zoro didn't think it would be wise to get hit again with the same intensity as before, and he cursed the thick stream of blood that was running from his wound. Now he had to worry about protecting Luffy and that idiot of a businessman -- fuck!

Luffy bit his lip as he ducked under another katana, and then yelped as he hopped back to avoid yet another one. Oh yeah, the whole 'staying home' thing. "I just wanted to see what your job was!" he called back.

The businessman, meanwhile, was backing into corner. He whimpered, hugging his legs to his chest.

"Get out of here!" Zoro shouted, slashing towards one of the women, narrowly missing her. "Get out of here and take him with you!" Damnit, but Zoro couldn't stand the idea of something happening to Luffy...

Luffy's eyes narrowed a bit as he finally just slipped past one of the girls swords and brought up his leg to knee her in the stomach. Zoro….certainly had an interesting job. "And leave you here? You're bleeding!" he shouted back as he jumped back, the girl's katana slicing the material of his hoodie.

"Luffy, I can't protect you!" Zoro shouted, and the weight of these words felt as if they had ripped him even deeper inside. He really couldn't... and part of him wanted to, felt as if it had to. He had saved Luffy -- he felt like he needed to keep saving him...

Blood spurted into the air and a shrill cry followed. One of the girls dropped her sword, holding tight to her arm, which was gushing crimson warmth. She backed away, eyes wide.

Luffy bit his lip as he side-stepped yet another blow. Of course Zoro couldn't protect him, that much was obvious…but that didn't mean Luffy couldn't protect himself. Zoro had saved him many times, and Luffy certainly didn't mind…but that didn't mean he couldn't protect himself if he needed to. "I-I can protect myself! I don't mind you protecting me, but you don't have to always do all this stuff for me!"

Zoro had done a lot for Luffy…he had done so much. Luffy was grateful, really. He really cared for the man that had saved his life…but he didn't want to be a burden anymore. He didn't want Zoro to feel like he always had to protect him…

"I can protect myself! You don't need to worry!" the boy repeated as he turned to look at Zoro…

And saw the girl standing there, clutching her bloodied stump that had once been her hand.

The boy's eyes widened in shock as he stared at the sight, jaw dropping a bit. It was a shocking sight by itself, but the moment he spotted the missing appendage his head began to spin. He let out a cry, clutching at his head.

_"Don't worry…it's just a scratch, that's all."  
_  
_"S-Shanks! Your arm!" _

_"Oh…well, yeah, I guess it's a bit more than a scratch…"_

_"I…I-I did that, didn't I?"_

_"Eh, it wasn't you necessarily."_

_"I-I'm s-sorry!"_

_"Hey, hey! Don't cry! It was a small price to pay…"_

Luffy fell to his knees, images flashing through his mind. A young man with shaggy red hair grinning down at him, bloodied bodies as far as the eye could see, blood on his hands, blood everywhere, some odd sort of symbol written in crimson…

As unlucky as the timing of the flashback was, it did have a bright side. After all, if Luffy hadn't fallen right then, a katana would have taken off his head.

"Fuck--" Zoro paid the girl now missing a hand no mind, swinging around to attack the others that threatened Luffy. The girls shrunk back, unused to having opponents that would fight back, and wanting desperately to keep their limbs. He had Luffy's cry, and growled a bit, thinking the boy had been hurt.

The girl with the missing hand, however, grabbed up her katana in her other one, even though she was unused to using it with this hand -- and swung down towards Luffy, guessing the swordsman's true weakness. Zoro heard the whoosh the blade through the air and spun around to block it, blades clanging only inches above Luffy's form.

Zoro knew they had to get out of there -- and fast.

"Luffy, take the man and run!"

Luffy remained kneeling, gasping for air as he clawed at his head with shaking fingers. His head was pounding, images that had been so fresh and vivid moments ago already beginning to fade away. Vaguely he heard Zoro's command, along with the clang of two katana clashing inches from his head.

Katana clashing…someone screaming…images were beginning to bleed together in his head again. One moment there was a tall man standing above him, pushing his glasses up his nose with his palm, the next there was the businessman curled up in the corner and whimpering. A heavy fist cracking against his small face, a kick from one of girls narrowly missing, images of violence exploding in his mind like fireworks.

A great, huge temple in a spring night, during the full moon. A woman standing above him, slowly tracing glyphs onto his skin and ignoring his strangled cries of pain as they burned themselves onto his flesh.

He couldn't make sense of anything. What was what? What was going on, who or what was attacking him? Who was bleeding? Where was Ace? Where was Shanks? Who was Zor- wait, who were Ace and Shanks? Who was he?

"Damnit, Luffy!" Zoro's head was beginning to feel light. He was bleeding too much. "Get out of here!" He couldn't fend off all these girls and still try to protect Luffy and the fucking businessman. Finally, he looked towards the man over his shoulder, still fending off blades, and shouted, "If he won't run, then you need to!"

The boy cracked open one eye, his entire body shaking. Luffy? Was that his name? Was this swordsman mad at him? He shook his head as if trying to clear it, but that only seemed to make things worse. Everything was so loud and confusing! He really wished it would all just stop. The fight, the memories, the yelling, his thoughts, everything! He just wanted it all to stop!

His fists clenched in his hair, tufts of black peeking through his fingers, bits of hair sticking to his wounded palm. The boy's eyes had a sort of glazed look to them, a soft white glow beginning to shimmer from his shaking form. He couldn't take it anymore!

**"STOP!" **

---

**To be continued… **

_Oh dear, a cliffie. I know, I'm horrible. _

_I can't answer reviews because I don't have time, but let it be known that I love you all and will do the replies when I return home in two weeks!_

**Next Chapter:** _Once again we're given a super-natural display from Luffy, proving that he's certainly more than the cute kid that he seems to be. How will Zoro react, and what will he say about Luffy following him when all is said and done? Find out next chapter!_


	23. Figuring it Out

**-Tangled Web-  
A role-play/joint-fic by Digitaldreamer and Constable Remington  
Chapter Twenty-three: Figuring It Out **

_Sooo…second week at Kaya's. By the time this thing shows up Otakon will be over, so I'll put a little con report in my next chapter. But for now you get my ramblings from two weeks ago as I got ready to go and what not. _

_I imagine by the time I post this this fic will have four hundred reviews, so if it does…well, woot! If it doesn't, I predicted wrong and am a bloody idiot._

_Anyhoo, this chapter has something you've all been waiting for and well…I hope you enjoy it._

_---_

**"STOP!"** Luffy screamed at the top of his lungs, throwing his head back as he did so. A shock-wave of power burst from his huddled form, sending bits of dust and broken bits of the concrete floor flying. Boxes flew up into the air and over-turned; the windows shattered, cracks began to appear in the walls. All of the girls who had been attacking them were thrown into walls and boxes before sliding to the ground, unconscious. The businessman was knocked into his little corner and was left unconscious well.

After the wave had passed Luffy sat there on his knees, panting.

Zoro was lucky to have missed the flying hail of wreckage and debris, and he gasped for a moment, not believing his luck. Looking towards Luffy, he quickly sheathed his katana and rushed towards the boy, kneeling beside him.

"Luffy--" he breathed, shakily running a hand over the boy's back. "You okay?" What had just happened? Had Luffy done that? But how?

Why was strange incident after incident happening ever since Zoro had met the boy!

Luffy slowly opened his eyes as his breathing slowed a bit, glancing around. His face became one of tired confusion. What had just happened, and why was he so tired now? He then heard Zoro's voice and turned to the swordsman, nodding in answer to his question. "Zoro…what happened?" he asked, going to looking around at the mess and the fallen girls.

Zoro couldn't find the words to talk for a while. "You... I don't know... you started screaming and it was like... like an explosion." He frowned a little. "How did you... how did you do that?"

The boy blinked in confusion. "I started screaming and caused an explosion?" Luffy's brow furrowed. "I don't remember any of this!"

Slightly frustrated by this, Zoro gestured around the room. "You screamed 'stop' and then it was like everything just... blew up." He looked around. Damnit, even the guy he was supposed to be protecting had been hit. He frowned, but could see that he was still breathing. "How could you not remember! It just happened, just now!"

Luffy just stared at Zoro, looking completely confused. "I did…wha…" He shook his head. "I don't remember any of this. The last thing I remember is following you here, then fighting the freaky girls, and then my head started hurting and the next thing I knew everything was like this." He glanced around at the room again. "Wow…this is really weird…"

Zoro frowned. Yet another mystery surrounding this boy. In this moment, Zoro was now certain that his previous encounter with Luffy on the roof had been no dream. Why did strange and odd incidents seem to radiate off Luffy? Why did they frustrate Zoro so much! He was getting sick of the unanswered questions. None of this would have happened if Luffy hadn't followed him! "Why _did_ you follow me?" he asked pointedly. "I told you to stay home."

Luffy looked back at Zoro, then laughed a bit nervously and scratched the back of his head. "Well, I was _really _curious as to what you did…and I wanted to find out…and whenever I asked you never really _said_ anything so I decided to find out for myself…eh heh heh." He laughed again, beginning to play with the slice in his hoodie caused by one of the girl's katana.

The man sighed, casting a glance around. "Well, do you see why I didn't say anything before, now?" he asked. "You could have been killed, Luffy..."

The boy kept his gaze on the tear in his shirt, tracing his fingertip across the fraying edge of the material. "…Yeah, I know I could have been killed," he replied, voice quiet. He knew Zoro was right, he could easily have gotten killed back there…but Luffy hadn't really minded in his own life's case. The entire reason he had stuck around was to make sure Zoro would be okay…and now Zoro was hurt and if he hadn't been there the swordsman probably wouldn't have been. So…it was all his fault, really. Just by acting on his own curiosity, he had nearly gotten them both killed.

Noticing Luffy's reaction, Zoro sighed. He saw how sorry the boy was. "It's all right," he said softly. Luffy was probably shaken from what he had seen. Zoro hesitated a moment, before he wrapped his arms around the boy, pulling him close in an effort to calm. "You're okay, though, and that's what matters."

Luffy bit his lip, his entire body shaking in Zoro's arms. He leaned against Zoro's chest, but pulled back slightly when the swordsman's blood began to seep onto him. That wound…was his fault. Just another burden that he had ended up forcing the older man to bear. Why was it no matter what he did, he always ended up causing more problems for Zoro?

He took in a shaky breath, tears beginning to well up in his eyes. "But…you got hurt because I was here…you got hurt trying to keep me safe…you always get hurt."

Zoro looked down at the wound for a moment. "It's not bad," he said softly. "Hardly even notice it's there." He frowned. "Besides, I would have gotten hurt trying to protect this guy anyway." He gestured towards the passed-out businessman, before noticed that Luffy had tears in his eyes. Surprised by this, Zoro reached out to push them away. "Luffy..."

Luffy shook his head, tears flinging out of his eyes as he did so. "You're always stuck trying to protect me! You always get made fun of and hurt because of my mistakes! I-I'm nothing but a burden to you, if I hadn't been here tonight you wouldn't have gotten h-hurt! If I weren't around making such a big mess of everything you wouldn't be stuck having to do so much! If you'd never found me you could live your life and be happy, you wouldn't be stuck t-taking care me!" he cried, tears now beginning to streak down his cheeks.

"You…never should have found me. Then you wouldn't be burdened by me. Then you'd be happier," he muttered, looking down at the cold concrete floor.

"Happier?" Zoro repeated in a faint voice, thinking on this. He knew what Luffy was saying wasn't true. "No... Luffy, you're not a burden." Zoro didn't really understand how the boy had arrived at this conclusion. Zoro didn't mind having Luffy around at all -- in fact, now that he had more or less opened his life up to Luffy, it was strange and almost painful to think back to life before him. Sure, he didn't get made fun of back then, but having company was a small price to pay. Zoro was puzzled by this, though -- he had always shunned off company before. So what could possibly be so different about Luffy that changed his mind about this rather important issue?

Luffy shook his head, eyes remaining fixated on the floor as he shivered. "A-am too. I always cause you problems. You would have been happier without me," he sobbed. He was happy when he was around the swordsman…he was so happy. The boy always felt happiest when he was near the older man…but it felt like all he did was cause Zoro problems. He loved being around him…but he didn't want to make Zoro unhappy.

"...Maybe I should leave…so you can be happy." But he really didn't want to. His heart hurt at the thought of never seeing Zoro again.

…but what was he supposed to do?

Zoro's arms pulled Luffy close in again, forgetting momentarily about the blood. "No. You're not going anywhere, Luffy." He stared down at him, eyes hard and serious. "I made a promise -- remember?" But there was something more than that... "You have to stay. Because what you're saying... isn't true." He paused. Words were not Zoro's forte. How could he put a vague feeling deep within his heart into words? "It's the opposite, Luffy. I... feel like I can't be happy without you."

Luffy finally looked up at the swordsman with tear-filled eyes. "…Can't be happy…without me?" he repeated, cocking his head to the side. He felt his heart grow a bit lighter, as if what the swordsman had just said had lifted a weight off of it. What Zoro had just said…he knew he felt the same way. He couldn't be happy without the swordsman. That was why he had made Zoro make that promise those few days ago, because he wanted to stay with him forever and ever. And that was a part of the "mystery feeling" in his heart…

What was that feeling?

Nodding a bit, Zoro moved a hand to wipe the tears from Luffy's face. Luffy didn't look like himself when he was crying. "Luffy..." he paused. A million things were running through his mind, through his heart. A voice in his head was screaming to admit it, already. Zoro was having a hard time pretending that he didn't know what it was talking about. But... Luffy didn't even know what... what love was. How could he return a feeling he didn't understand? Zoro wasn't one for laying his heart on the line, but he had to reassure Luffy... he had to keep the boy with him...

Luffy gazed up at the swordsman as his calloused fingers wiped the tears from his face, feeling his heart thump in his chest. His face felt a bit warm where the swordsman's fingers had touched it, everything seemed a bit warmer than usual. "Hm?" he prompted the swordsman to go on, curious as to what he had to say.

"...I..." There was a pause, before Zoro felt something like anger flare up inside him. How could he be afraid to admit to his own feelings? He wasn't going to let something trivial as emotions stop him from saying what he wanted to Luffy. It was the truth -- he could see that now, as clear as crystal -- so how could he have trouble with saying it? "I'm happy, when I'm around you. If you leave, if something takes you from me... I can't..." he frowned, brows furrowing. "I can't even imagine it. You're a part of my life now. You're staying. I'm not letting you go, because... because I love you," he finished, and it sounded softer than he wanted, but it had still come out.

The boy sat there for a moment, staring up at Zoro with wide orbs of dark chocolate. Time seemed to go slow for a few seconds as he tried to work this out, his brain unable to come up with anything comprehendible. Finally, it clicked.

Zoro….loved him?

Love was when you really cared for someone. When they meant everything to you. When you loved simply being around that person, and felt like you could be with them forever. This was how Zoro felt about him?

Did Luffy feel the same way?

…Maybe that was what the mystery feeling had been? All this time, maybe that had been it? Zoro was the world to him. Zoro was everything. Zoro was a part of his life, and Luffy definitely didn't want him out.

…Could it be that the mystery feeling…was love? That he had it all along and just hadn't been able to quite grasp what it was?

Luffy smiled warmly, wrapping his arms around the swordsman's chest and pulling him closer as he gazed up at him. "I think I finally get it. Love is being happiest around just one person. That person means everything…and you would do anything for them," he said.

"They are more than just a friend, more than family, more than anything else in the world, because you love them. That is love…and I think I finally get it." He paused, cocking his head to the side as he met the swordsman's eyes. The boy's face spread into a grin. "And…I love you too."

A strong arm pulled Luffy even closer, and Zoro felt a wave of warm relief crash over him. Luffy understood, and Luffy felt the same way -- it was more than he could ever dream of asking for, to have the younger boy so close to him, such a part of him. Luffy looked so happy, his smile was contagious, creeping onto Zoro's features as well. His other hand, the one that had lingered on the boy's cheek after wiping away his tears, brushed down Luffy's soft skin and went to his chin, pulling it up just a bit more, before Zoro leaned down to grab Luffy's lips in a kiss. It wasn't forced or accidental, this time, and the shaking swordsman felt electricity through his veins just under his skin, bursting to be free upon contact. He couldn't help but squeeze Luffy closer, pushing into the gentle, chaste kiss.

Luffy returned the kiss quite willingly, a shiver going up his spine. It was like fireworks going off in his head, a rush of energy that traveled from his head to his toes and back again. The rain outside, the slight chill of the warehouse, the unconscious guards and businessman…none of that mattered. All that mattered was this feeling, this moment. It was as if time had stopped and everything else had faded out, leaving only Zoro and himself.

After a moment, Zoro gently broke away, his hand moving up to push hair from Luffy's face. He stared down at the boy for a long time before he finally whispered, "I'm still mad at you for following me, though." A gentle smirk lit his face. Love wasn't so bad. Wasn't so bad at all. He stood from where he had been kneeling beside the boy, reaching his hand out to help him up. "We need to get out of here before they wake up -- or before someone realizes something's wrong and others show up."

Luffy blinked as he glanced around, remembering where they were. He also remembered that he wasn't exactly supposed to be here. Following Zoro may not have been the best idea in the world, but what he had gotten out of it was worth it. He laughed, taking Zoro's hand and allowing himself to be helped to his feet. "Yeah…guess we should go. Are we going home?"

Zoro nodded. He moved towards the corner where the businessman was slumped, bending over and hoisting him up onto his shoulder. "Have to carry him somewhere a bit away, at least," Zoro murmured.

"Okay! Let's go then! We have to get moving so we can fix you up, right?" he asked, gesturing to Zoro's wound.

Zoro looked down at it, then up to Luffy's hoodie, now soaked with his blood and sporting a rather large cut. He frowned. Luffy had really liked that hoodie. ...Not to mention that going home covered in blood and torn clothes would be a little suspicious.

...He couldn't really worry about that now. Heading down the hallway, Zoro glanced back to make sure Luffy was following him. "Walk in front of me," he said suddenly. "Just in case."

Luffy blinked in confusion, jogging a bit to get in front of the swordsman. "Um…okay." He glanced back at Zoro. "Just in case of what?"

"In case one of 'em wakes up and attacks from behind," Zoro finished, keeping up his pace down the hallway.

"Oooohhhhh…okay," Luffy nodded, deciding that was a good enough reason for him. Zoro wouldn't be easily snuck up upon like he would, after all.

"Say…Zoro? You're supposed to be watching the skinny guy, right? Won't you in trouble for just leaving him somewhere?" he asked as they continued to walk down the hallway.

"What else can I do? I'll try to wake him up, but if he doesn't, it's better than leaving him here." He sighed, readjusting the man over his shoulder.

"True…" Luffy scratched his head and remained silent until they reached the door. The boy grinned, tugging it open and rushing out into the night air.

"Yosh! Freedom!" he cheered, doing a little dance in the middle of the downpour. His hat had fallen from his head sometime during the fight and was now dangling around his neck from a string, catching rainwater in it.

Standing in the door way for a moment, Zoro sighed, staring out into the rain with irritated eyes before moving out into it dejectedly. "All right, come on, let's hurry up and get out of here," he instructed, already beginning to walk away. "This part of the city isn't safe."

Luffy stopped dancing and pouted. "But…rain…aw, okay." He jogged after Zoro, sneakers hitting puddles and splashing water every which way, getting the bottoms of his jeans completely soaked. Once he reached Zoro's side he slowed to a walk, reaching out and taking the swordsman's hand in his own as he beamed up at him.

Glancing sideways, Zoro's fingers tightened a bit on Luffy's, not saying anything. He was still somewhat recovering from completely baring his heart to the young boy. Thinking on this for a moment, he finally spoke, his voice nearly lost in the downpour.

"There's... really no need to tell anyone at home about what happened tonight, alright? About any of it." Between Zoro's confession to the fighting, Zoro preferred to be a mystery to his housemates, really.

Luffy blinked up at Zoro for a moment with wide eyes of dark chocolate. He could understand not telling everyone about most of the things that had happened, but what about the love thing? Zoro didn't want people to know about that? Maybe he just didn't want to be made fun of anymore? Hmm…

Well, Luffy was sure Zoro had his reasons, even if the boy couldn't quite fathom what they were. He smiled and nodded, shaking a few droplets of water loose from his hair as he did so. "Okay! I won't tell anyone."

"Good."

A car drove past, and then another, as they began to enter a more populated area of town. They reached the street corner Zoro had met the business man on, and, pulling his hand from Luffy's, Zoro bent over to set the man down on the stairs leading to the door of the abandoned apartment complex there. Zoro lifted a hand, awkwardly hitting the man against the shoulder.

"Hey, wake up," he muttered gruffly.

The businessman groaned, peeping open one eye to stare up at the swordsman. He then blinked in confusion, glancing around. "Huh? Where am I?"

"A random street!" Luffy chirped, squatting down so he could grin at the man.

The man's brows furrowed in confusion. "Who are you?"

Luffy blinked, then laughed nervously and waved his hand dismissively. "No one important!"

Zoro grimaced a bit, sighing. "Well, the point is, we got you away from the gang, but they'll probably keep coming after you. You'll need to be more careful from now on." He looked towards Luffy, then back at the man. "This is where we met, so your on your own to get back home. My work here is done."

It wasn't that Zoro didn't care if the man was safe or not. It was just that he didn't want to get involved.

Turning, he threw a hand up in a wave, catching Luffy's wrist with the other hand and pulling him along as he began to walk away.

"Bye mister weird guy! Have a nice night!" Luffy called back, waving enthusiastically as he was pulled away.

The businessman stared after them, blinking the rain out of his eyes. His brow furrowed as he tried to remember what had happened. He remembered talking to Ener, then someone had been attacking him…and then everything was blank.

Ah well, probably wasn't anything important. The man stood and shrugged, brushing off his suit and walking away.

Moving his hand from Luffy's wrist to catch the boy's hand, Zoro sighed, inwardly cursing the rain. The air was chilled, and Zoro knew he'd have to change into dry clothes as soon as he got home to avoid getting some kind of cold. The two eventually reached the house.

Moving to the doorway, Zoro sighed, pulling a key from his pocket and beginning to unlock it. He stopped, pulling back and thinking. Looking to Luffy, he sighed. His shirt was covered in blood... Besides which, they would be confused as to why Luffy had come back with Zoro...

Wonderful.

"Maybe we should go in through the kitchen," he muttered.

Luffy glanced down at his shirt as well, frowning. He really had liked this hoodie, it was sparkly!

Oh well. He could always clean it…or at least he hoped he could.

It probably wasn't a good idea to walk into the house in a blood soaked shirt. Nope, not a good idea.

The boy laughed, tugging Zoro down the front steps and around the boarding house. "Okay, let's go then!"

Following Luffy, Zoro quietly crept around into the alleyway through the rain, coming to the kitchen door. He peered into the window. Luckily, it was dark. Unlocking the door, he swung it carefully open. "You need to be quiet," he advised in a whisper, stepping a dripping foot carefully inside.

"Kay!" Luffy whispered back. Sure, it was a rather loud whisper, but at least he was trying. He walked in behind Zoro, easing the door shut behind him, listening to it softly click.

He glanced around. Oh yes, no one had noticed. He was stealthy like a ninja!

The boy crossed the kitchen floor, pausing for a moment to stare longingly at the refrigerator. But no, food could wait. The fact that Zoro was still hurt was a bit more important than meat.

Not wanting to drip too much water or possibly blood on the floor, Zoro swiftly moved towards the doorway, down the hall, and up the stairs, being quiet as possible, trusting Luffy would follow.

And of course, Luffy did follow, making a bit more noise than Zoro but somehow managing to not attract any attention.

They eventually reached the top of the stairs and Luffy immediately charged into the bathroom. "I'll get the first aid kit!" he chirped.

Pausing a little, Zoro frowned. "All right," he said softly, slipping into his bedroom. Damn wound... he didn't want Luffy to see him vulnerable like this.

Ah, hell. Not much he could do to change it, now.

He slumped on the bed, sitting at the edge and pulling off his shirt and belt.

The cut looked pretty bad. Zoro hissed, putting a hand to it.

Luffy glanced frantically around the bathroom, then yelped as he slipped on the rug and fell backwards. He groaned, rubbing his head, then glanced over at the cabinets.

Where was the first aid kit? The boy didn't have the slightest clue where to look.

He tore open the cabinets under the sink and poked his head through the doors. Nope, nothing but towels…unless the first aid kit was behind the towels?

Luffy began to pull out towels and toss them over his shoulder. After several minutes the bathroom floor was covered in towels and the cabinet was empty. "Awww…no first aid kit here." He pouted as he shoved the towels back in, not quite as neatly, and closed the door. Maybe it was in another cabinet?

The boy grinned, hopping to his feet. He pulled open another cabinet…nope, just soap and stuff. He then opened the next one. Nope, just toilet paper and things like that.

Geez, where was the first aid kit?

He tore open the final, top cabinet. And lo and behold, there was the first aid kit, peeking at him from behind various pill boxes and medicine bottles. Luffy grinned triumphantly, pulling the kit out of the cabinet (and sending a few bottles flying in his haste) and setting it down on the counter.

Ducking down once more, he then pulled a cloth out from under the sink. Zoro had used a wet cloth when he had been helping Luffy, hadn't he? Luffy vaguely remembered a bowl of water and several cloths on the bedside table…

Well, he didn't have a bowl, so he'd just have to make the cloths wet.

Beaming, Luffy turned on the faucet and jammed the cloths underneath the spray. Zoro would feel better really soon and then he'd be happy!

Once the cloths seemed soaked enough he turned off the faucet and lugged the first aid kit and wet cloths to Zoro's room, dripping a few droplets of water here and there as tugged open the door.

"I found it!" he chirped, hopping through the doorway and closing the door behind him.

Zoro looked up, frowning a bit and nodding. The roll of bandages still sat on his bedside table, and he looked away. "You should change into some dry clothes," he said softly, already having pulled on dry flannel pants, having abandoned his wet ones.

"Okay!" Luffy beamed, setting down the first aid kit and the wet cloths before rushing over to his corner. Yes, it was his corner; his stuff was there, so it was his. He should put up a sign…

Eh, the sign could wait.

Luffy tugged off his hoodie, pausing to give it a mourning glance. "Stupid scary sword lady," he pouted, tossing it aside as he dug around for a shirt.

Zoro frowned towards the hoodie. He had seen others like it in the store... maybe they could get Luffy a replacement. Reaching for the first aid kit, he opened it up, looking inside. With a sigh, he grabbed one of the cloths, beginning to clean his wound.

Luffy eventually just settled for the old blue shirt Zoro had given him, then kicked off his now soaked jeans and pulled on a pair of dark blue sweat-pants. But wait, they weren't just any dark-blue sweat-pants….they had monkey's on them!

He grinned as he hopped onto the bed next to Zoro, clearly quite thrilled with the monkeys on his pants, and with the fact that he was no longer wearing soaking wet clothes.

"Want any help?" he chirped.

Pausing, Zoro looked up at him, then returned to cleaning his wounds, grimacing at the slight sting that the peroxide caused before setting the bottle away and reaching for the bandages. He grabbed the end, handing the roll to Luffy. "You have to wrap it tight," he said simply. "And carefully. All right?"

Luffy grinned and nodded, happy that Zoro had let him help. "All right!" he said, taking the roll. He began to wind the bandages around Zoro's chest, managing to only accidentally elbow Zoro lightly once.

Once he was finished he tore the end of the bandage off with his teeth and tugged it tightly, then stuck it on Zoro's back. "There, done! Did I do okay?"

Zoro had kept still the whole time, but as Luffy finished, he moved to lean back carefully and rest against the bed. "Yeah, you did it fine," he said with a smile. "I'm sure I'll be fine within a few days." It hurt like hell, but there was no way he would tell Luffy that.

Luffy smiled as well, though the smile faded a bit as he glanced up at the ceiling. "That's good…sorry for getting you hurt back there," he mumbled, gaze shifting from the ceiling to the floor.

"We've already been over this, haven't we, Luffy?" Zoro asked pointedly, folding arms behind his head. "I told you, it's all right." He paused a moment. He was just glad Luffy was okay.

"Yeah…I know…" he said, scooting backwards and flopping down on the bed next to the swordsman. "But saying it's all right isn't gonna make you all better."

Thinking about this for a moment, Zoro turned his head to gaze at Luffy. "That's true, but worrying about it won't, either."

Luffy stared at Zoro for a moment before inching closer and wrapping his arms around the swordsman's waist, a small smile gracing his lips. "Yeah…guess you're right."

Zoro managed not to hiss in pain as his wound was somewhat jostled, instead looking down at Luffy with almost soft eyes. Luffy's smile was infectious. Shifting a bit, his own arm went to rest around Luffy's waist as well.

Luffy stayed in this position for awhile, just content in being close the older male. Eventually, he did start to feel a bit sleepy though. He yawned, leaning up to give Zoro a quick peck on the cheek. "Thanks for helping me figure it out…love you," he mumbled sleepily, snuggling against the pillow.

Slightly surprised, Zoro looked down at Luffy wistfully, before turning to push a gentle kiss to the boy's lips. "I'm glad I figured it out too," he responded simply.

Luffy just smiled as his eyes drifted closed, and in a few moments he was asleep.

Watching him for a moment, Zoro sighed and brushed some hair from the boy's face, sitting up for a moment to flick the lamp off before settling back beside Luffy and falling fast asleep.

---

**To be continued**

_Well? What did you all think? I hope that those two finally confessing their love made you all happy. _

Sooo, next time I'll actually answer reviews, because I'll be back from Kaya's. Huzzah and joy and what not.

**Next Chapter: **_Luffy's dreams seem to be taking a darker turn…not a very good way to start off Zoro's special day._


	24. Cold, Quiet, and Dark

**-Tangled Web-  
A role-play/joint-fic by Digitaldreamer and Constable Remington  
Chapter Twenty-four: Cold, Quiet, and Dark  
--- **

_Well guys, I'm back at home. Yay and what not. Otakon was a blast, for the con report you can check out my LiveJournal._

_In random news, when I returned from Otakon I discovered that my computer monitor is dying, so everything is tinted green. So now I need a new one, joy._

_Right, now that that's out of the way: We got over four hundred reviews now! Woot! We're almost to five hundred, which is half of a thousand! Thanks so much, you guys!_

_In other news, some of you seem to be missing something: _**THIS IS NOT JUST MY FIC!**_It would not be nearly as good, if _**CONSTABLE REMINGTON WEREN'T WRITING THIS ALSO! SHE WRITES HALF OF THE THING, STOP IGNORING THAT! She deserves FAR more credit than she's getting. STOP ignoring her!**

_Thank you, and I hope you enjoy the chapter, which is dedicated to _**Kloudy Reignfall **_for leaving us a novel for a review. You rock, Kloudy!  
_**  
**---

_It had started out like a normal dream. Something about a giant piece of meat attacking the city before Luffy flew in as a super hero and ate it…and then Zoro was there, frowning at the absurdity of it…or at least he was frowning before Luffy kissed him… _

But that was where everything changed, and the dream did not become so normal.

Zoro vanished, the city vanished, everything vanished. It was as if the happy dream had simply fallen away to reveal an inky black backdrop. It was dark, so dark. He would wave his arms in front of his face and see nothing, nothing at all.

It was also quiet. So quiet, silent as death. He would open his mouth to speak, but no matter how loudly he yelled, it was if the darkness simply swallowed it up.

Dark, silent, and cold. It was so cold, painfully so. It hurt to breathe, hurt to suck that frigid air into his lungs. He reached up to rub some warmth into his arms, but they had gone entirely numb.

He could not see, he could not hear, he could not feel. Not that there was anything to see, hear, or feel, because there was nothing here. It wasn't the kind of darkness that things lurked within, it was simply empty. An endless, empty sea of black.

Luffy stood there for a few moments, feeling fear creep over him. He wanted to see! He didn't want to be stuck here in the dark! He didn't want to be stuck here all alone, unable to see or hear or feel or anything!

He was scared. So scared. He wanted something to hold onto, someone to see and feel and hear, someone to prove that he wasn't completely and utterly alone. He wanted Zoro here.

But Zoro wouldn't be here, because there was nothing here. Luffy wasn't sure how he knew this, he just did and it was as if his brain couldn't seem to move past this fact.

It was so cold, so quiet, so dark…

The boy let out a soundless, terrified cry, sinking to his knees and hugging his arms to his chest. He would rock back and forth, pleading for someone to be there, because try as he might he could not handle this darkness by himself.

Slowly, however, even the fear left. Everything left, any form of feeling or fleeting thought. He was nothing, just a tiny cowering boy in the dark.

_"Cold, isn't it? Cold, and quiet, and dark," a voice murmured, and Luffy looked up, shivering. _

The voice was laughing now, the cold laughter filling the air. "Not very nice, is it? To be completely alone, without any form of sense or feeling. To be completely numb, even to the point where you don't even have your own thoughts to keep you company. It's like death…no, I suppose it's worse than death, isn't it? In a way, wouldn't you agree?" 

Orbs of dark chocolate gazed around in the dark, trying to find the source of the voice.

"Don't bother looking for me. You won't find me, after all. You'll find nothing here. Believe me, I would know. I've been stuck like this for the past six years after all, save for the few recent outings. Pleasant, isn't it?" 

A hand reached out to grip the back of his head, grab a fist-full of ebony locks and pull him back. Luffy let out a small cry of pain as he was pulled back. He landed on his back, whimpering as tendrils of darkness snaked around his limbs, holding him down.

A figure loomed over him, though try as he might the boy couldn't seem to make it out.

"Look around. See this place? I'm not going to stay in here much longer. Soon enough it will be your turn," the figure hissed, reaching out to trace a long pale finger across the boy's jaw line.

"Just imagine it. The rest of your miserable life, spent with nothing but the cold, the silence, and the dark for company. Quite a party, wouldn't you say?" _A pair of deep crimson eyes narrowed as they took in his tiny form. _

"Though…I suppose on occasion I could take a break from my duties to visit you. After all, I'm going to destroy the world. Or rather, you will, and once you do I will be in charge of it. Surely I can take a break to visit you, hmmm? Give you a break from nothingness…" A smirk as inch-long finger nails trailed farther down to his neck, then to his shoulder, then suddenly squeezed down. Spurts of blood immediately sprung up from five identical little wounds. Luffy let out a cry of pain, eyes wide.

"Nothingness and pain. I'm sure you'll love it," the figure sneered, leaning down to capture the boy's lips in a rough kiss, biting down on his lower lip.

Luffy yelped, squirming, trying to get this person off of him! But it was as if his entire body had been paralyzed, and he suddenly found himself unable to struggle.

The figure laughed again, withdrawing and standing. "I think that's enough for now. Do try to remember what you've seen here, I'd hate for you to forget the wonderful things that lie ahead for you. 

With that, it finally left.

Once again, everything was cold, quiet, and dark.

---

Beep. Beep. Beep!

The alarm clock woke Zoro with its loud, piercing screeches. Groaning a bit in irritation, Zoro lifted a hand, slamming a fist over the clock. It squeaked to silence, and he cracked open a dark green eye, growling a bit.

Damnit.

Looking towards Luffy, the man smiled a little until he saw that his roommate's usually cute and shining face had scrunched into a look of pain and fear. Sitting up a bit, Zoro hissed in the pain radiating from his wound, but ignored it for now.

"Luffy," he began, raising a hand to the boy's shoulder to shake him awake when he noticed--

...blood?

Why was there blood on Luffy's shoulder?

Pulling the boy up a bit, Zoro pushed the collar of his old t-shirt away to reveal Luffy's bare shoulder. On the soft, milky skin rested five marks... five marks, right where fingertips would go...

...How the hell had those gotten there?

Luffy's face twisted in pain and he let out a small whimper, entire body shaking even in sleep. "N-no….don't want to be alone…no…" he moaned, fingers clenching at the blankets, knuckles white. Cold sweat soaked the pillow where his head lay; his entire body was as cold as if he had just been plunged into ice water.

His eyes suddenly shot open and he sat up with a cry. The boy blinked, glancing around frantically at the room, panting. His eyes finally settled on Zoro and he let out a cry, this time of relief, and flung himself onto the older man, whimpering.

Shocked and somewhat confused, Zoro stared down at the boy for a moment before patting him softly on the head and wrapping an arm around him. "Are you all right?" he asked softly. "You had a nightmare, Luffy."

Luffy was shaking uncontrollably as he buried his face into Zoro's chest. "So dark…all alone…hurt…was scared…" he mumbled before going silent, arms tightening around the swordsman.

He stayed like that for awhile, simply shivering and whimpering, though eventually he began to calm down a bit. The shaking subsided and warmth began to spread through his body again, and after a few more minutes he pulled away a bit to glance around.

"…Just a dream," the boy murmured, leaning against Zoro again.

"It's all right," Zoro said softly, petting a hand through his hair. Snatching Luffy's chin with his hand, he pulled the boy's head up, kissing his lips gently.

Luffy returned the kiss, still quivering a bit. He felt the cold feeling in the pit of his stomach vanish with this contact, and he was glad for it. Even if the dream had not been real, he was glad to have Zoro to turn to when it was over, to show him that he wasn't alone.

"Time to get ready for school," he said simply, pulling away from the boy. God, his stomach throbbed with pain. He tried to ignore it.

What a wonderful way to start his birthday.

Luffy's expression brightened. "School? YAY!" he cheered, punching his fists into the air. He didn't really like sitting still and listening to the scary teacher people talk all day, but it was fun to meet all the people there! That and gym was really fun.

A flash of pain came from Luffy's shoulder with the motion and the boy winced, hand instantly reaching down to touch the injured spot. He pulled his hand away and glanced down at the bloodied palm, frowning. His eyes widened considerably.

Hadn't that person clawed him there in his dream? But it was just a dream, dreams couldn't hurt anyone!

Maybe he had clawed at his own shoulder last night on accident? Yeah, that had to be it. People couldn't be hurt by dreams. The boy rubbed the wounds absently as he tried to think of something else.

There was something important today…what was it? He frowned, brows furrowing. Then it hit him. It was Zoro's birthday! He opened his mouth, about to wish the swordsman a happy birthday, but at the last second he covered his mouth.

He wasn't supposed to know it was Zoro's birthday today. If Zoro knew he did, wouldn't it ruin the surprise?

So instead of saying anything Luffy just grinned and leaned over to give Zoro a quick peck on the cheek before sliding off the bed.

Zoro raised a hand to his stomach idly, going to the closet to pull out his uniform. Here's where the morning routine started. Zoro didn't mind routine so much, but it got boring after a while. He got his shower, Luffy got his, they were both dressed, and, because they were running late, rushed out of the house, lunches in hand, speeding down the street, running into class just on time.

Classes from then on went as usual. By the second day, people had gotten over there being a "new kid" and were, for the most part, leaving Luffy alone. Finally, lunch time rolled around. It was raining too hard for them to eat outside, so Zoro waiting patiently at the younger boy's locker for him to appear.

Interestingly, he hadn't seen Kizuma all day.

Luffy came rushing down the hall, looking even happier than usual. "Hi Zoro!" he said cheerfully as he skidded to a stop mere inches from the older man, if he had stopped any sooner he would have knocked him over.

The boy knelt down to unlock his locker, then pulled it open and tossed his books inside. "How was class?"

"Fine," Zoro responded idly, raising an eyebrow. "Just the same as always. You look happy." He crossed arms over his chest, watching the students go by in a bored fashion.

The boy laughed out loud for no reason as he pulled out his bento and stood, nudging the door shut with his foot. Well, of course he was happy. It was Zoro's birthday! But he couldn't tell Zoro that. "Oh, I learned more about the square roots that the zebras eat!" he babbled, which was mostly true; they had learned about square roots. He just didn't seem to quite get that zebra's didn't eat them and that they were actually quite boring.

"Well... that's good." Zoro smiled a little towards him, beginning to move down the hall. "We'll have to eat in the lunchroom today," he said simply, turning and beginning down another hallway that eventually opened up into a large, noisy room with a vaulted ceiling. It was filled with tables and people chattering, and Zoro's eyes scanned for a table.

"Woooow! There's so many people!" Luffy gasped as he looked around. He then frowned. There were a lot of people. And it seemed they had taken up all the empty chairs, save for two…

Those two chairs being right in the middle of Nami's table of girls.

"Hey look Zoro, there's two empty chairs!" Luffy said loudly, pointing to them. He was apparently oblivious to the vile evil girly aura coming off of said chairs.

Following Luffy's finger with his eyes, Zoro instantly tensed. Wonderful. Fantastic. Perfect. Why couldn't Nami make a couple more goddamn friends!

But there really weren't seats anywhere else.

"Fine," he said dejectedly, beginning to move across the room and towards the table.

"Yosh!" Luffy cheered, following Zoro to the table.

A blonde girl happened to glance towards them and a wide smile immediately spread across her face. "What's this? Roronoa Zoro is actually willingly gracing us with his presence?"

"Awww, he brought little Luffy-chu too!" one with short brown hair pulled into pigtails cooed.

Nami looked up and blinked, then grinned, raising an eyebrow. "Oh come on girls, stop teasing them," she said, waving her hand as she focused on Zoro. "Seriously though, why are you willingly stepping foot here?"

"'Cause these are the only two chairs left!" Luffy chirped as he hopped into the seat beside Nami, tearing open his bento and beginning to dig in. He was oblivious to the random squeals of "HE'S SO KAWAII!" around him.

Rolling his eyes, Zoro silently began to eat. It was nice of Nami to have told them to lay off... almost too nice, and he rose an eyebrow towards her, wondering why. Still, he shrugged it off. He wouldn't question a good thing too much.

The girls eventually seemed to figure out that Zoro didn't want to talk to them, and although Luffy was interesting to talk to, the boy seemed more interested in the swordsman. So they soon enough went back to their girly chatter and left Zoro alone.

Or at least, they did for awhile.

"Soooo, Zoro-kun?" one girl pressed. "I know you don't want us to bother you, but we really must know, we're all _dying _of curiosity. _Are_ you two like, in love?" she asked, gesturing between the swordsman and Luffy.

"Because…you know, if you don't want him, we'll take him..." another cooed, reaching out to pet Luffy's hair lightly.

Even Nami seemed to want to know the answer.

Luffy was oblivious to the question or the random girl hand petting his head, as he was too busy collecting the last of his food from his bento.

Slightly shocked by the question, Zoro looked up, chopsticks stuck loosely in his hand. He didn't know what to say for a moment, before he finally grunted with a shrug of his shoulders.

"You can't have him," he replied simply, irritated.

All of the girls at the table gave various 'oooh's and 'ahh's and immediately began to excitedly chatter.

"Did he just…"

"So maybe that means…"

"Oh my GAWD, SQUEEE!"

Luffy's head shot up at the squeal and he blinked, looking around. "Huh?"

Giving a frustrated sigh, Zoro shut his bento box. "It doesn't mean anything," he responded gruffly. Standing from the table, he stretched a bit. "C'mon, Luffy." Zoro grabbed up his bag, turning and beginning to leave.

Luffy blinked in confusion, then glanced down at his bento. "Aww, empty already…" he whined as he closed it and stood, beginning to follow Zoro.

"Oi, Luffy! Wait!" Nami cried, snatching his arm and pulling him down so she could whisper in his ear. "Make sure that you keep him out of the house until six, all right?"

Luffy glanced at her, then grinned and nodded enthusiastically. Nami smiled back and pushed him off. "Now shoo, I don't need your icky masculine presence ruining my table atmosphere!" she said.

Glancing back, Zoro sighed, waiting until Luffy caught up with him to keep walking. The lunch bell rang and students were beginning to leave their tables and move through the halls. Zoro stopped at his own locker, pushing the lunchbox in and grabbing a book before continuing with Luffy down the hall to his. They parted after a moment, the bell rang, and classes continued, until school was finally out and Zoro was once again moving down the crowded hall to meet Luffy at his locker.

This time, Luffy actually got there first for a change and was waiting for the swordsman with his backpack slung over his shoulder, bouncing up and down excitedly.

They were going to get Chopper today and maybe he would get his job today! And he still had to find Zoro a birthday present…

He'd find one! This was going to be Zoro's best birthday EVER! He would make sure of it!

Dodging through crowds of students trying to escape school, Zoro met Luffy at the boy's locker, a slightly irritated expression on his face. This school had too many damn students.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

Luffy grinned and nodded, grabbing Zoro's arm and beginning to tug him out of the school. "Yosh! Let's go! We need to go pick up Chopper and see if I got a job and stuff!"

Remembering the puppy, Zoro nodded a bit, moving out of the school and into the parking lot. Swinging onto his motorcycle, he looked to Luffy, nodding for him to climb on.

Luffy vaulted onto the motorcycle after Zoro, humming to himself as he latched on to the swordsman.

The motorcycle's engine started and it revved out of the parking lot, carrying its two passengers away from the school and down towards the same place it had taken them the day before. Zoro smiled a bit as they parked, planting a foot on the ground and glancing over his shoulder towards Luffy.

"It's going to be extremely difficult getting your puppy home this way, Luffy," he said suddenly, wondering why he hadn't thought of this before.

Luffy frowned as he slid off of the motorcycle, thinking about this. Then he grinned. "Don't worry! I think when you get a puppy you're supposed to carry them in one of those little puppy…box…carrying…things…I'll just hug the box really tightly so it doesn't fall off! Or I could put it in my backpack or something."

"You'll have to hold it tight," Zoro said worriedly, moving towards the pet store. "You shouldn't close it up in your backpack." Opening the door, he moved inside.

Luffy followed Zoro into the pet store, beaming. "Don't worry, I'll hold it tight! I wouldn't wanna lose Chopper right after we got him," he said.

The moment he stepped through the door Chopper started barking. Luffy grinned, rushing over and dropping to his knees to pull the puppy from its pen and hug it. "Hey Chopper!"

Zoro glanced towards the counter, but instead of the same woman from the day before, it was a younger girl, about Zoro's age, filing her nails. She looked up at Luffy as he pulled Chopper from the cage, raising an eyebrow.

"That one's been whining all day," she complained, sighing and tossing her dark hair. "I hope you're not planning on just sitting around and holding him all day."

Luffy laughed, standing and taking the puppy with him. "Nope! I promised him I would buy him yesterday, so I came back to do that!" he said, holding Chopper up and grinning.

"Wonderful," she remarked blandly, holding up her nails to examine them before moving from behind the counter, going to get a small carrying box. Moving towards Luffy, she scooped the puppy up from his arms, placing the animal inside before handing the box back to the boy. Zoro sighed, moving towards the counter to pay for the animal.

Luffy grinned widely and hugged the box to his chest before rushing to Zoro's side and giving him a one armed hug. "Thank you sooooo much Zoro! I promise I'll pay you back!"

"Yeah, yeah," Zoro gruffed, handing the woman money. She rung it up, handing him back his change. Turning from the counter, he smiled a little to Luffy. "Don't worry about paying me back. Just consider it an early Christmas present or something."

The boy cocked his head to the side for a moment, then beamed. "Okay! But I'll have to make sure to get you something extra good for Christmas then!" He then frowned. If he was going to get Zoro something for his birthday, let alone Christmas, he was going to need money…which meant he needed to get a jo-

Oh yeah!

"Hey, miss lady person? I gave the other nice lady person an application yesterday, does that mean I can work here yet?" he asked the woman behind the counter, jumping up and down.

Looking slightly annoyed, the girl looked up towards him. She paused for a moment, trying to think. "Oh yeah, you must be that kid mom was talking about. Yeah, she looked at your application. She'll probably call you or whatever; she seemed to like you a lot." She waved her hand a bit.

Zoro nodded some, taking Luffy's free hand. "They'll call. C'mon."

"Okay! See you later miss lady person!" Luffy called as he hugged Chopper's box to his chest and began to walk out of the shop.

The puppy yipped and whined within its box, and Zoro sighed a bit. This had been a bad idea. Why a puppy, of all things!

"C'mon, let's get home," he muttered.

Luffy blinked. Go home? Already? He glanced back at the clock. Only four o' clock! He bit his lip. How was he supposed to keep Zoro downtown for two more hours?

…By looking for his birthday present, of course!

"Aw come on Zoro, not yet!" Luffy cried, tugging at his arm. "Let's go look in shops or something, just the two of us! It'll be fun!" He gave Zoro a pleading look. He had to keep Zoro away from the house…not only that, but he was happy for any extra time with just the swordsman and himself. Well, and Chopper.

"Look in shops?" Zoro raised an eyebrow. "...All right, I guess... we have some time." He glanced around. "Where is it you wanted so badly to go?"

Luffy frowned, hugging Chopper's box to his chest. "Ummm…..I don't know…" He glanced around. What shop should he look in first? What would Zoro like?

He probably wouldn't want one of those spiffy stuffed animals in the window of the toy store, and Luffy doubted he had the money for the trendy clothes in the store window (he doubted Zoro cared for clothes, anyway). Meat was something Luffy would appreciate, but he doubted Zoro would want meat for his birthday.

…But what was left to get Zoro, then?

His gaze then settled on a small, old looking store, stuffed between the café and the dollar store. His eyes immediately widened at the various shimmering gems and vases and things in the window.

"SHINY THINGS! PERFECT!" he cheered, charging across the street to the shop without even bothering to check for cars.

"Luffy!" Zoro grimaced, rushing after him. Luckily, there weren't any cars around, and the two reached the curb on the other side of the road safely. Glaring into the store windows, Zoro sighed. "You need to be more careful, Luffy," the man growled. "You have to cross the street at a crosswalk, all right?"

Luffy blinked, glancing back at the busy street for a moment before laughing and scratching his head sheepishly. "Oh…yeah. Okay, I'll try to remember that next time!" he chirped as he walked up to the store. He paused at the door, blinking at the sign hanging from it.

"No pets allowed," he read aloud. The boy frowned for a moment before his face spread into a grin. That was perfect! He could have Zoro wait out here with Chopper and it would give Luffy an excuse to search for Zoro's gift without him.

"Here, you hold Chopper while I go in!" he said, placing the whining box in Zoro's arms before charging into the store.

"Wait--" Zoro nearly interjected, but was silenced by the sound of the store door opening and Luffy disappearing, a small bell tinkling as the door slid shut again. Giving a great sigh, Zoro peeked into one of the holes of the box, looking in on the tiny creature inside. "Yeah, yeah," he muttered, irritated. "Don't get all worked up, he's always like this."

---

**To be continued… **

_Er…right…not much happened this chapter, I know. But there was fluff…I guess… _

…sigh

I'll answer a few reviews, but I'm not going to answer all of them…that would just take far too long.

**Raikou Ikazuchi:** o.o Whoa, Luffy was right about love being a fruit after all! Yaaaaay…

**dreamhorse: **_I got the un-dubbed version at you need either BitTorrent or IRC to download them, though._

**ofudamaster: **_Actually, I think Japanese high schools might have those kinds of questions about George Washington, because I know at my high school once you get there you have to learn OTHER countries histories, thus Robin teaches U.S. History and there are questions about George Washington. _

I guess that's it…I'll start replying to all the reviews again next chapter…sigh

**Next Chapter:** _Will Luffy ever find something for Zoro's birthday? Who's this strange little girl? And how will Zoro react to his party? I dunno, see the next chapter to find out._


	25. Surprises

**-Tangled Web-  
A role-play/joint-fic by Digitaldreamer and Constable Remington  
Chapter Twenty-Five: Surprises **

_Aiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeee! I know, I know, I haven't updated in awhile! A thousand pardons and all that. _

_Seriously though, I'm running out of chapters, after this I only have one left and then we have to wait for Constable. She's been feeling horrible lately and hasn't felt like writing for undisclosed reasons, so please send her well-wishings and praise, maybe that will help her feel better._

**Everyone who gave ideas:** _Thank you very much for your ideas. We've got everything sorted out now, Constable just needs to get her spirit back. Thank you for all your support!_

_Well…anyway, this chapter is one of my favorites simply because it has one of my favorite little gags in it. I hope you enjoy it._

_**---**_

The store was tiny and cramped. The owner must have forgotten that customers needed a way to get around, because most of what looked as if it should be walkway was barely navigatable because it had been cluttered with mounds of useless junk. The whole shop gave off an insufferable smell of age and antiques, and as the young boy moved in, an energetic man in his mid-thirties looking up from behind the counter when he heard the tinkle of the bell. There was a young, blond baby dressed in a frilly pink onesie sitting on the counter, smacking a worn and chipped antique rattle on the hard wooden surface.

"No, no, Mandie, honey, you mustn't break that," the man cooed, but the baby only giggled, smacking it harder. Sighing a bit, the clerk gave up with a shrug, eyes moving back to Luffy. "Is there anything I can help you with, sir?"

Luffy cocked his head to the side as he looked at the man, then he grinned. "Nah, I'm just looking!" he said, looking around.

Everything was pretty dusty and a lot of the stuff looked like it hadn't seen the light of day in ages. There were all sorts of things, old wooden furniture, orinate lamps, old dolls with faded smiles, stuffed animals with their fur worn away…

One thing happened to catch Luffy's eye, however. Or rather, two things.

It was a pair of necklaces hanging haphazardly off of the corner of one of the couches, one half of a yin and yang symbol hanging from each orinate chain.

Luffy blinked curiously and walked up to the necklaces, picking them up. He stared down at his reflection in the obsidian surface of the yang necklace, fingers tracing over the gleaming white of the ying one.

He clicked the necklaces together and grinned down at the shape they formed, flipping the pendent in his fingers. The boy glanced over the back, which seemed to be inscribed with something.

It was a pair of small angel wings, and beneath these wings was a single word.

"Destati," Luffy read aloud, brow furrowing. He swore he had heard that word before…

…Ah well, it was just some meaningless inscription anyway, Who cared what it meant, it looked cool! He could give Zoro one necklace and he could keep the other, and then they'd always be connected.

It was the coolest idea ever.

Luffy immediately rushed up to the store counter, nearly tripping over several things on the way there. "Mister! Mister! How much are these?" he cried when he reached the counter, waving the necklaces in the air.

Looking up again from tending his child as Luffy rushed up, the clerk cried out and grabbed the baby around the waist, pulling her from the counter and to his chest as he stumbled backwards, a horrified look on his face.

"O- o- oh," he gasped, chest heaving, eyes wide and panicky. The baby giggled. "Those... that..." He shook a bit. "Li-Listen kid... those necklaces, they're very... er, very special. Yeah, that's right!" His face seemed to gain a little more courage and light at this. "Those are quite, ah, special necklaces." He lifted a hand to pat the baby's back, now smiling. "So I'll tell you what? Since I like you so much, and since that's such a, well, wonderful piece of jewelry, I'll give it to you for any price you name! Anything, you can have those!"

Luffy frowned. "Any price?" he repeated. He didn't have any money, and he doubted the man would just let him have the necklaces…WAIT!

The boy reached into his pocket and dug around for a few seconds before pulling out the change that Zoro had given him the other day. He pouted down at it for a moment, he didn't really want to give up his pirate treasure…

…but it was for Zoro's birthday present…

He dropped the coins onto the counter. "Is this enough?" he asked with a grin.

The man frowned, leaning forward to examine the coins for a moment. It was hardly anything but a couple of simple light-weight one yen pieces...

...But he really did want that damn piece of jewelry out of the store.

"Sure, kid, that's plenty!" he laughed, and the baby laughed with him, gurgling a bit and hitting the rattle against her father's head. The clerk ignored her, pulling a small plastic bag from the counter before he looked down at the necklace. Holding out the bag, he smiled to Luffy. "There you go. Just slide it on in here," hoping it didn't actually touch him, "and you can be on your merry little way."

"Okie dokie!" Luffy chirped, picking up the necklace and dropping it into the bag. The store guy sure did seem enthusiastic about Luffy buying this necklace. Maybe he knew what it was going to be for and he was excited too? That must be it!

He took the bag and waved at the man as he turned to leave, a bounce in his step as he left the store. "Thank you mister! Have a nice night!"

"Yeah..." The man sat his little girl back down on the counter to escape her rattle-beatings, so she instead took to smacking his elbows. "You too, kid."

Zoro looked up as the bell tinkled again, sighing and shifting his feet. "About time," he said, holding the yipping box out. "What do you have there?"

"Ummm…….nothing important. Just a candy bar!" Luffy insisted, stuffing the bag into his jacket pocket while inside he was squealing with glee. He found Zoro a birthday present, yay!

Now he just had to find some place to celebrate until it was time for the party that Zoro didn't know about.

He glanced up at Zoro, grinning as an idea came to him. "Wanna go to the park? I don't think Chopper likes being in this box," he said as he took Chopper's box from the swordsman.

Zoro sighed but nodded. The park was just a short walk down that street, so he turned and began to walk; glancing back to make sure Luffy was following. "You have to be careful and make sure he doesn't run off when we get there," he said finally, as the park began to be seen in the distance.

Luffy beamed and nodded, hugging Chopper's box to his chest. "He won't! I'll make sure of it!" he said, peeking through the holes at the puppy. "Don't worry Chopper, we'll be there soon!"

The moment they reached the park Luffy tugged the box open and gently pulled Chopper out, giving him a hug before placing him on the grass and standing upright once more. "RUN CHOPPER! RUN FREEEE!" he crowed

Chopper just stared up at him, then barked and wagged his tail.

Zoro frowned a bit, sliding down into the grass and watching the tiny puppy as it yipped up at Luffy, then took to running circles around the boy.

"I think he really likes you," Zoro commented with a smirk. He had to admit, the damn thing was pretty cute.

Luffy laughed, reaching down to scratch behind the puppy's ear. "You think so? Chopper, do you like me?"

The puppy barked again and Luffy laughed once more, nudging him towards Zoro. "What about Zoro, huh?"

Chopper glanced up at Zoro for a moment, then shuffled over to the swordsman and sniffed his shoes. The puppy then looked up at Zoro again, wagging his tail and barking.

Luffy chuckled, plopping down in the grass and shrugging off his backpack as he reached over to scratch Chopper's ears again. "He likes you too! That's so great! See, he knows when I ask him things! He's SUPER SMART!"

"Mmn..." Zoro reached over to stroke against the puppy's soft fur, smiling a little. It was his birthday, Zoro was reminded, and right now this moment made the day seem worthwhile. Zoro had never cared for his birthday before, but... now if felt like something special, just because Luffy was around.

Luffy laughed, petting Chopper for a little while, but suddenly Chopper jumped up and ran away. Luffy blinked in confusion, getting to his feet. "Chopper?" the puppy ran across the park, where there sat a large pile of leaves. Chopper dove into them, barking.

The boy grinned, immediately chasing after the puppy. "HA! Leaves! Great idea, Chopper!" he cried, flinging himself into the leaves with a cry of glee, sending them everywhere.

Chopper barked again and Luffy laughed, sitting up and tossing leaves into the air. The puppy jumped, trying to catch the leaves as they fell.

"Yatta! This is so fun! Come on Zoro!" Luffy called, waving as a leaf fell onto his head and stayed there.

Watching Luffy with a sort of bored amusement, Zoro gave a lazy nod. He sighed, hoisting himself to his feet and stretching a bit, beginning to move across the park.

However, before he could get there a piece of canvas was suddenly thrust into his face. The canvas had a very well done, detailed water color painting of Luffy and Zoro sitting in the grass with Chopper between them.

"I painted you," a young girls voice came from somewhere behind the canvas.

Blinking, Zoro stopped, bending down a bit with a bewildered look to examine the painting closer.

"Ah... thank you," he said finally, blinking a bit and reaching down the take the picture from the young girl.

"You're welcome." The girl gave a small smile, her long brown braids swinging from underneath her pink hat with green swirls on it. She reached into her bag and pulled out four rice crackers, offering three to Zoro and biting into the last one. One could just barely see the corner of a white envelope sticking from between the crackers.

Taking the crackers carefully, he paused only a moment longer to watch the girl before moving on towards Luffy awkwardly, sitting himself on a bench and hiding the envelope in his pocket, tossing the crackers into the nearby garbage. He didn't trust anything.

Luffy stopped playing in the leaves as Zoro sat down, blinking in confusion. "What was that all about?" he asked, cocking his head to the side as Chopper kicked up a few leaves. These leaves joined the rest that were tangled in the boy's hair.

Zoro shrugged, holding up the picture. "Some little girl painted a picture of us, I guess," he muttered softly.

"A picture of us? OHHH, I wanna see!" Luffy cried, jumping out of the leaves and sending them flying as he rushed over to the bench and plopped down next to Zoro. Chopper followed him, flopping down on the grass next to the bench as he gnawed on a stick he had found in the leaf pile.

Zoro handed it to him, leaning back in the bench for a moment before suddenly shifting forward and scooping up Chopper, stick and all, into his lap.

Chopper yipped in surprise, nearly dropping his stick, but he soon settled down in the swordsman's lap and continued to gnaw on the stick.

Luffy gazed down at the picture, his mouth forming into an "O".

"…Woooooooooooow! This is really good! It looks just like us! It's so cool!" He then glanced over at Zoro. "Maybe the girl knew it was your birthday today and decided to give it to you!"

Zoro paused for a moment, blinking towards Luffy. He hadn't told anyone of his birthday, so how in the world did Luffy know? "...Maybe," he said slowly, suspicion rising in his voice. "It is good," he noted, taking the picture and sitting, for a moment, in silence, before he smirked a bit. "Luffy," he said softly, "how did you know it was my birthday?"

The boy sat there blinking for a moment before his eyes widened. _ACK! I just let it out…gotta cover it up somehow...oh, what would Usopp do? I don't know… _

"Um….I have ESPN?" He suggested with a nervous laugh.

Unsure how to respond, Zoro just sighed. "C'mon, let's get home," he said suddenly. "I've got homework, and besides, everyone's going to want to see the puppy."

Luffy's eyes widened. "BUT WE CAN'T LEAVE YET!" he cried, latching onto Zoro's arm.

Zoro raised an eyebrow, looking down at the young boy as Chopper whined right along with Luffy. "Why not?" he asked.

"...um…..because…um…" Luffy's grip on Zoro's arm loosened as he attempted to think of a reason. _Come on, think of something…wait, what about that thing that one lady said on Nami's weird show? That made people stay in the room…and stare… _

"I'M PREGNANT!" Luffy shouted dramatically.

"You're WHAT!" Zoro pulled his arm away, scooting away from Luffy on the bench. He hadn't seen Luffy naked, but he had seen him shirtless, and he was pretty damn sure he hadn't missed anything. Luffy was a boy, definitely, right? "Luffy, I don't think..."

"Don't think what?" Luffy asked, cocking his head to the side. He honestly had no idea what he just said. But hey, at least it kept Zoro from leaving.

Zoro was silent for a few seconds.

"Luffy, only girls can be pregnant," he finally said, irritated. "Now, come on. We're going home."

"ACK! Wait!" Luffy cried, grabbing at his arm again. She he did so he managed to pull up Zoro's jacket to reveal a watch beneath it. Luffy blinked at it, squinting as he tried to read the time.

5:45

His eyes widened. Only fifteen minutes to go? "ACK! RIGHT, LET'S GO!" he cried, jumping up and grabbing Chopper, ushering the puppy back into the carrying box. The puppy whined, but finally complied and got into the box. Luffy snapped it shut and hugged it to this chest.

"LET'S GO!" he repeated, shifting from foot to foot.

Confused and slightly annoyed by Luffy's behavior, Zoro moved from the bench and stood, beginning to cross the park towards the street where he had parked his motorcycle. Luffy was acting awfully strange, and Zoro still wanted to know how Luffy knew it was his birthday. Making a face, he sighed, finally reaching the street and beginning down it with Luffy in-tow, past the pet shop, and to the motorcycle. Zoro slipped on, looking carefully towards Luffy.

"You need to hold on tight to that box," he said finally.

Luffy hopped onto the motorcycle behind Zoro, slipping one arm around Zoro's waist while the other kept Chopper's box firmly against his chest. He was practically bouncing up and down with excitement now, he couldn't wait to see Zoro's reaction when they returned home.

"Don't worry, I will!" He promised.

Without a word, Zoro started up the motorcycle and drove home.

The reached the boarding house right on time, and Zoro parked carefully beside Vivi's car as usual, sliding off the bike and making sure the puppy was alright before beginning towards the door, mind focused dreadfully on the homework he had to do that night.

Luffy followed Zoro to the door, bouncing up and down excitedly on the front step as he waited for Zoro to open the door. His grin was so large that it looked like his face would probably crack if he attempted to smile any wider.

Watching Luffy with a raised eyebrow, Zoro finally swung open the door and stepped inside, of course expecting nothing out of the ordinary.

Interesting enough, all of the lights in the house were off for once. Even the TV was off, it was quite strange.

Luffy followed Zoro into the house and flicked on the lights.

"**SURPRISE!**" Ussop and Nami both cried as they burst from the hallway closet and charged over to the front door so they could toss green and white confetti all over the swordsman. Both had party hats on and Usopp kept randomly blowing into one of those cheap plastic horns.

"**HAPPY BIRTHDAY ZORO!**" Luffy cried, tackling Zoro from behind and hugging him.

"What the hell!" Zoro cried, stumbling back just as Luffy's arms latched around his middle. He stared at the group that had formed, looking up as Vivi rushed in with a smile on her face. "What the hell!" he repeated again, a look of incredulous annoyance over his features. How did they find out it was his birthday? Had Luffy told them? But how the hell did he know!

Zoro didn't care for surprises.

Nami laughed, putting her hands on her hips. "Surprised? You couldn't keep it a secret from us forever!"

Usopp nodded in agreement, blowing his horn again.

Luffy grinned, squeezing Zoro's waist. "It's a surprise birthday party for you! Isn't it great?"

The house had apparently been decorated for the occasion. There wasn't much, but there were a few dark green streamers hanging here and there, along with a few balloons and a great big banner with the words "Happy Birthday Zoro!" hanging from the ceiling.

He sighed a bit, feeling a headache coming on.

"Yeah... great," he muttered.

At least it was an excuse not to do homework, and besides which, everyone else seemed to be having a good time, so whatever. He wouldn't make too big of a deal. Luffy looked so happy.

"Sanji-san made a cake," Vivi commented, and Zoro made a face.

"Yosh, cake!" Luffy cheered, releasing Zoro and doing a small dance to show his joy for the sugary thing that was cake. He stopped suddenly, frowning. "Does Chopper get cake too?"

Nami blinked. "Chopper?" she repeated.

"Yeah, my new puppy!" Luffy said, kneeling down so he could open Chopper's box and let the puppy out. Chopper immediately bounded out of the box and barked, then began sniffing the floor, his tail wagging a mile a minute.

"AWWW, HE'S SO CUTE!" Nami cried, immediately kneeling down to pet the puppy. Usopp gave a similar cry, but as he still had the party horn in his mouth it came out in a series of squeaks. Chopper barked happily, wagging his tail.

"Yay, he's happy!" Luffy cheered, joining Usopp and Nami on the floor. "Maybe he knows its Zoro's birthday!"

"Wonderful." Zoro sidestepped the puppy just as Vivi knelt down to pet it too, moving into the kitchen.

Sanji was, as usual, at the sink, washing dishes with a sigh. He looked up as Zoro entered, and gave a half-hearted shrug.

"Happy Birthday, moss head," he said simply, and Zoro grunted in response, sitting at the table and letting his eyes rest on his cake. It was a simple, round layered cake with green icing, and it read "Happy Birthday" on the top in white icing.

Robin was sitting at the table, sipping coffee. She glanced up at Zoro and gave him a small smile, saying nothing.

And then the chaos began as Luffy and Usopp came charging in, Chopper barking in Usopp's arms. Nami followed shortly behind. "Usopp, you're scaring the poor thing!"

"Am not!" Usopp cried, holding Chopper close. "He likes being held by me, right Chopper? You like me best!"

Chopper barked and wagged his tail.

"He does not like you best!" Luffy cried, scratching Chopper behind the ears. "Right Chopper?"

Chopper cocked his head to the side, then yipped.

"See?" Luffy stuck out his tongue at Usopp, whom stuck his tongue out right back.

Nami scowled, snatching the puppy from Usopp's arms. "I don't think he likes either of you best guys. Besides, it's obvious who he _really_ likes!"

"Who?"

"Me, obviously," she grinned, petting Chopper.

"Nuh uh!"

The party continued on loudly like this well into the night, even long after Zoro had let Luffy eat most of the cake. He had finally decided just to screw homework for now, he could get anything done in class the next day and for now this seemed like too nice of a night to pass up.

Zoro mainly sat back in his chair with a drink, watching the others cause havoc and mayhem and generally be disruptive. It occurred to him that he had never really had a birthday party before, or really have anyone who cared enough to wish him a happy birthday. Though the day hadn't exactly started off as special, it had certainly become something nice, and Zoro had to grudgingly admit to himself that not only did he enjoy the party, but he knew it would be a memory he would cherish. More and more, Luffy was bringing those kinds of memories to him.

Just one more reason why Zoro loved him.

A warm feeling rose up in his heart and he couldn't help but smile.

---

**To be continued.. **

_Well, that was fun, ne? I hope you all enjoyed that…because now I have some bad news. _

_Constable has not been feeling well. She's depressed, she's stressed, and she's feeling burnt out. Thus, she cannot write TW, because she's completely burnt out on it. I will not write this fic without her, because we're friends and partners. Thus… _

**I will not post anything after this chapter until Constable feels better.**_ I don't want to do this, but it can't be helped. We may only be waiting a few days, a few weeks, a month, I'm not sure. But I assure you all this fic WILL continue. Even if it has to go on a hiatus because of this, I promise you all that it will continue! Constable has declared that she plans on finishing it…so surely soon things will be better. Constable and I are going to finish this, we promise, and we're really far off from the end, so you all have a lot to look forward to. _

_And now, I will answer a few reviews! _

**Saiyako:**_ Aw, Nami's just being nice because it's Zoro's birthday today. She'll be in full-swing teasing mode again soon enough. X3_

**silverfangedgoddess09:**_ O.o You check every day to see if this fic has been updated? Um…wow. Well, thanks for backing us up and for the candy, I suppose. o.o_

**YuugiLover3:**_ O.o In some pet shops you don't have to do all that, Constable just bought her puppy and left, so I guess the pet shop in this fic is like the one Constable's been to._

**Aifos:**_ o.O Wait, so you didn't know about Constable before I mentioned her? But I said at the very beginning that this was a joint-fic, didn't you read the authors notes? It says her name right at the top of each chapter!_

**Next Chapter:**_ We know what Luffy got Zoro, but what did the rest of the house get him? And how will Zoro react to Luffy's gift? More foreshadowing and fluff await in chapter twenty-six of Tangled Web! See you all then._


	26. Gifts

**-Tangled Web-  
A role-play/joint fic by Digitaldreamer and Constable Remington  
Chapter Twenty-Six: Gifts**

_Well, at long last things have finally started to get better. Constable's tried to move on and things have gone back to normal. Meaning yes, we have started role-playing again. That means this fic finally gets updated.  
_

_I want to thank everyone who reviewed and wished Constable well! She really appreciated it. We're glad to know we have so many who love what we write, yet were willing to put that below her getting better. So thank you all. _

I'd also like to thank anyone who hung through our hiatus. It was a long one, but we gained a few new readers through it, and hopefully old ones are still hanging on for the ride. We're on chapter twenty-six now and we still have chapters and chapters to go, but I hope in spite of how long this sucker's going to be that you'll all stick with us because it's going to be one hell of a ride.

For those of you whom actually care, I will continue to write Dominoes so don't worry. X3 I swear there's actually a plot to it and I'll be getting into it.

Anyway…well, the hiatus is over! Hopefully this chapter was worth the wait! Enjoy!

---

After explaining how she had found out his birth date, Vivi excused herself to get back to reading a book that was "just getting to the good part", and Sanji was at the sink washing dishes from dinner and cake again, a sure sign that the party was dwindling to a finish.

Luffy was currently busying himself with attempting to lick off the bit of frosting that he had managed to get stuck to his elbow, and he was failing miserably. Chopper was on the floor next to him, already fast asleep.

Usopp and Nami chose that moment to waltz back into the room, something hidden behind their backs.

"Ohhhh Zoro! Guess what we got for you?" Nami asked, grinning.

Waking from his thoughtful revelry, Zoro looked up, cocking an eyebrow.

"I have no idea," he remarked flatly, tilting his glass up and allowing the amber liquid inside to burn down his throat.

Nami and Usopp grinned as Usopp pulled a large rectangular package from behind his back, then shoved it into Zoro's hands.

"We all pitched out money together and got you this! But it the Great Captain Usopp-sama's idea!" he said, grinning.

Nami promptly whacked him over the head. "It was _my _idea, you idiot, and I'm the one that ended up mostly paying for it."

"O-oh yeah... heh. must've slipped my mind."

Zoro took it carefully, staring up at them with a frown before he pulled the wrapping paper off quickly.

It was a trench coat, pure black leather with surprisingly little decoration (It must've killed Nami to not pick out one with a million little designs on it) save for the silver kanji for darkness sewn onto the right sleeve, and on the back there was the kanji for "Santouryuu" sewn in the same silver.

"We figured you were going to have trouble completing your dark, brooding, angsty image without a cool trench coat," Nami said with a teasing grin.

Images of every action movie Zoro had ever seen filled his mind. He smirked as he lifted the heavy coat from its box, allowing the box to fall to the floor as he stood from the chair, swooping it around to try it on.

"It's..." he trailed off. It was wonderful. Was this really what birthdays were like? "...Thank you," he finished, tugging at the sleeve. It fit perfectly. Certainly not what he had expected.

"SO COOL!" Luffy cried, picking up the end of the coat and letting it flap down. He did this several times, clearly entertained.

Nami smiled, folding her arms as she watched him put it on. "Ha! It looks perfect on him, I told you so Usopp!"

Usopp stuck his tongue out at her. "I still say we should have gotten the one with the cool sleeves…"

"Blah, those sleeves were ugly. You have no taste," Nami tsked.

Usopp made a face at her, but that face soon became a mischievous grin. "What about his _other_ present?"

Nami blinked, then grinned. "Ohhhhhhhhh, _that _present." She cackled, then rushed into the hallway. She returned with a smaller package, shoving it into Zoro's hands. "I think you'll find these useful!"

Zoro looked down at the package, then sighed loudly, not even phased by Luffy's antics. He frowned a bit. He had a pretty good feeling he didn't want to open this particular present. "Thanks," he responded caustically, frowning. "Do I even dare open it?"

"If you won't, I will!" Luffy chirped, snatching the package from Zoro's hands and tearing it open. He blinked down at the object in his hands.

"….Handcuffs?" He blinked in confusion. "What are these for?"

"For hot kinky man sex!" Nami said cheerfully.

Luffy just looked even more confused. "Whaaaaaaaaaaaaa?"

Zoro was certain a blood vessel had popped or something as he panicked, snatching the object from Luffy's hands and stuffing it into the pocket of his coat.

"Don't... don't worry about it. It's nothing," he tried to say, twitching as he did so, turning eyes of cold, pure death on Nami and Usopp. Zoro had learned long ago that physical intimidation was much more effective than verbal, however, and he only stood there, glaring them down for a moment or so longer before he turned on the heel of his boots, coat flapping behind him, and stalked out the kitchen and clomped up the stairs.

Both Nami and Usopp cowered in fear while Zoro glared at them, but the moment he left they burst out laughing.

Luffy stood, blinking as he attempted to work this all out in his brain. Finally something must've clicked, because he opened his mouth to speak. "So the handcuffs are for being…kinky…..is kinky some kind of game?"

Nami cracked up again, leaning against the counter. "Sure…yeah…it's a game. Yeah, we'll go with that…"

Luffy frowned, cocking his head to the side as he thought about this. "…Kinky is a game…like Cops and Robbers?"

Usopp snorted. "Yeah, something like that."

Nami grinned, walking over to Luffy and ushering him towards the stairs. "Yeah, why don't you go play some 'Cops and Robbers' with Zoro? I'm sure he'll love it!" she said with a wink.

Luffy's face spread into a grin. "Okay!" he chirped, rushing up the stairs. He paused at the top of the stairs, glancing around. Where could Zoro be?

Maybe he was in their room….the boy grinned, rushing over to the room and tugging the door open. "Zoro! Are you in here!" he cried loudly as he poked his head into the room.

Looking up from where he rested on the bed, Zoro grunted rather angrily, sitting up and frowning. "Yeah. I'm right here."

"Yosh!" Luffy cheered, flinging himself across the room and landing on top of Zoro, latching his arms around the swordsman's waist as he did so.

Taken by surprise, Zoro raised a hand, brushing affectionately through Luffy's hair even though his madness. He couldn't really stay angry with Luffy around... "Mmn. Yeah. Where's Chopper?"

Luffy's grin became a frown as he considered this for a moment. "ACK! I left Chopper downstairs! I should go get him; he's probably all lonely…" He frowned as he played with the material of Zoro's t-shirt. "Do you think he should sleep up here?"

"Well," Zoro began with a raised eyebrow, "he is your puppy. He should probably stay up here. Tomorrow we'll ask Vivi if we can take her car and get him a bed and some food. A collar and a leash, and the like, too."

Just as Zoro finished talking, however, he his ears pricked, and he heard a faint whimper and howl of protest from downstairs.

"Listen, he misses you," Zoro snerked, laughing a bit. "He probably can't get up the stairs on his own. Go get him."

"Okay!" Luffy grinned, hopping off of Zoro and charging out of the room. He bounded down the stairs to find Chopper sitting at the foot of them, whimpering and wagging his tail.

"Awwwwww, I'm sorry Chopper!" Luffy said as he scooped up the tiny puppy and headed up the stairs once more. He grinned down at Chopper, who blinked sleepily up at him and licked his nose.

"You look sleepy! You're gonna sleep in the same room as Zoro and me, isn't that great?" he said as he tromped up the stairs. Chopper simply yawned in response.

Luffy paused, frowning. "You know, I forgot to ask Zoro about Cops and Robbers…eh, I'll ask later! I swear there's something else I'm forgetting…" He glanced down at Chopper for another moment, then shrugged and continued up to the stairs and back into Zoro's room.

"I got him!" he chirped, flopping onto the bed once more with the puppy. He released Chopper, whom proceeded to hop off of the bed and sniff around Zoro's room.

Watching Chopper for a moment, Zoro sighed, reclining back against his bed, still fully clothed.

"Mmn, good," he responded blankly, staring up at the ceiling.

Luffy glanced at Zoro for a moment, then grinned and flopped onto him once again, burying his face into the swordsman's shirt and nuzzling it as he took in a deep breath.

Surprised, Zoro raised a hand and planted it in Luffy's hair, pulling him close as his other arm went around the boy's waist.

"Sleepy?" he asked with a small smile. Zoro was still slightly irritated about Nami and Usopp, but he knew better than to take that out on Luffy.

Luffy glanced up at Zoro, giving a small yawn as traced lazy patterns across Zoro's chest with his finger. "Kind of…but I can't go to sleep yet…" He frowned, he _knew_ he was forgetting something…what was it?

His eyes suddenly widened and he snapped his fingers. "Oh yeah!" He reached into his pocket, fishing around. He knew he had put Zoro's present in there after getting out of his school uniform, but where was it?

Finally his hand closed around the two chains and he pulled the necklaces out with a triumphant cry. "Ha! Ta da! Happy birthday Zoro!" He grinned as he dangled the two necklaces in the air. "See? One's for me, one's for you!"

Blinking, Zoro reached out, taking one of the necklaces in his hand.

"Interesting..." he said softly, tracing the pendant with his finger. He smirked a bit, unclipping the chain and pulling it on. On the back of the pendant, there seemed to be some kind of inscription... but it just looked like mindless scribbles. Zoro frowned a bit. "Thank you, Luffy. I really like it." He ruffled a hand through Luffy's hair. "I'll never take it off."

Luffy's eyes lit up at these words and he beamed. "You really like it? YAY! Zoro likes the present I got him!" he cheered, clapping his hands together in joy. He held up his own pendent, the white half of the yin yang symbol, then clipped it on.

"If you're never gonna take it off, then I won't take mine off either! So even if we're apart we'll always be together in a way, isn't that great?" Apparently to Luffy this was the most brilliant concept alive, and the way his face seemed to be practically glowing as if it were _his_ birthday seemed to prove this.

Slightly amused by Luffy's childish thoughts, Zoro smirked and nodded. "Mmn, yeah." Swinging an arm around Luffy's neck suddenly, Zoro pulled him down, placing a kiss against the young boy's lips. "I'm always with you."

Luffy kissed the older man back, though after a few moments he pulled back to make a quick reply. "Of course you are. You promised, remember? You're stuck with me forever!" he said with a laugh, leaning down to press his lips against Zoro's in another kiss.

Smiling into the kiss, Zoro let his mind cycle through the events that had led up to this, how he had found Luffy lying nearly lifeless in the alley, brought him home, cared for him, and eventually made Luffy his own. The young boy fit so perfectly in Zoro's arms that he didn't care what other people said or thought -- to him, it was magical, it was perfect, and he loved it, just as he loved Luffy. Zoro allowed these thoughts to fuel him to deepen the kiss, pushing a little harder against Luffy's mouth, arms tightening around him.

The younger boy blinked in surprise as the kiss deepened, but smiled and allowed himself to melt into the kiss, pushing back a bit harder as well. He still didn't have much of an idea as to what had happened before he woke up in Zoro's bed, but it didn't really matter right now. What mattered now was Zoro, the one who had been willing to take him in and give him so much, the one who he could honestly say he loved without a doubt. He didn't know what had gotten him to the swordsman, he didn't know what sorts of memories awaited him, he didn't know a lot of things. But really, once again it didn't matter. As long as he had Zoro, he trusted that things would be all right.

Arms loosened suddenly around Luffy and Zoro forced himself to pull away before pure emotion caused him to do something he would regret. He stared up at the boy for a moment, soft eyes bearing up into him with a strong sort of gentleness.

"This has been the best birthday I've ever had," he remarked quietly.

Luffy cocked his head to the side, a wide smile on his face as orbs of dark chocolate met Zoro's gentle gaze with a matching one. "Really? That's great, that's what I wanted you to have." He laid his head against Zoro's chest, listening to his heartbeat.

He lay in silence for a few moments, listening to the steady rhythm before speaking. "Zoro, you have a good sound."

"Hmm." Zoro snerked a bit, rolling his eyes. How strange. Still, he humored Luffy. "That's good," he mumbled. "I wouldn't want to have a bad sound." Loosening a hand in Luffy's hair, he ruffled through it affectionately before the same hand moved down Luffy's face to cup it and pull his chin up, pushing another kiss against Luffy's soft lips. For some reason, Zoro couldn't seem to get enough.

Luffy giggled, kissing Zoro back. Kissing Zoro always was a great thing, almost better than eating meat….nah, scratch that, it was better than eating meat. That meant it was one of the greatest things since sliced bread. Sliced bread was kind of yummy…

After a few moments he pulled away, cocking his head to the side. He knew he shouldn't ask, but he was so curious. "Zoro? What'd you wish for?" he asked with a boyish grin.

"Wish for?" Zoro asked blankly, and it took him a moment to understand what Luffy was talking about before he frowned. "I thought you weren't allowed to tell anyone that."

Luffy frowned. "Oh yeah….well, you can tell me after whatever you wished for happens then!" he chirped as he propped his head on his hands and kicked his feet idly in the air. "I wanna know what you wished for, so once it happens you gotta tell me what it was!" he declared.

"Alright," Zoro agreed softly. He wanted to pull Luffy in again but thought better of it, not wanting to scare the little boy off. "School tomorrow," he remarked suddenly. "Get some rest."

Luffy pouted. "But I'm not tired anymore!" he declared. And of course, just after he said that he ended up yawning loudly. He laughed quietly rolled off of Zoro, landing beside him on the bed. "Okay, I lied," he said as he snuggled closer to the swordsman.

Smirking a little, Zoro was about to pull him closer before deciding that he couldn't sleep in jeans and a trench coat. Shifting from Luffy's hold, Zoro got up from the bed, pulling the trench coat off. The gift from before weighed down his pocket, and he frowned, pulling it out and throwing the coat against his chair for a while, looking down at the handcuffs with contempt. Scowling, he set them against the dresser, quickly changing from his jeans and into a pair of pajama pants.

Luffy watched Zoro change tiredly, he didn't feel like getting up and changing. His khaki's were comfortable enough, they'd be fine. He was distracted by the handcuffs placed on the dresser…oh yeah, he had forgotten about Cops and Robbers…

…Maybe later, he was pretty tired.

Relieved that Luffy hadn't asked any irritating questions about the handcuffs as he was sure Nami had intended him to do, Zoro slumped back into the bed, placing an arm around Luffy and drawing him close.

"Night," he muttered gruffly, right into the boy's ear.

Luffy smiled, finding himself once again close enough to hear the swordsman's heartbeat. "Night," he mumbled, eyes falling closed as the steady thumping of Zoro's heart quickly lulled him to sleep.

---

Nico Robin was generally the type of woman to enjoy peace and quiet, something which rarely happened around the boarding house which she inhabited. Thus, when these rare moments came, the history teacher was happy to take them.

Of course, if they didn't come, she was willing to remove herself from the party to get her peace and quiet.

This is why she currently sat on the roof, an open book in her lap and a glass of red wine in her hand. She gazed up at the sky with deep blue eyes, surveying the millions of stars shining in the sky.

"It's so much harder to see the stars here in the city," she murmured, swirling the wine in her glass absently.

"Aren't you happy to at least be able to still see them?" a deep, dry voice said from behind her.

"Sir Crocodile," Robin said calmly, without turning around.

"It's Mr.0, call me by that name and I will not call you by your true one, Nico Robin. Or should I say, Miss AllSunday?"

Robin finally acknowledged her boss behind her, turning to stare up at his large form, the scar across his face clearly visible even with the shadows cast by the streetlights, the bit of light that was there reflecting off of the golden hook on his left hand.

"Of course, Mr.0," she said calmly, setting her book down and standing. She gazed at him levelly for a moment. "Well? Why the visit? I doubt you've come to admire the stars."

"Aren't I allowed to visit my partner? I wanted to see how you were doing in your new home, after I was gracious enough to give you one close to your precious school." Crocodile took out a cigar and placed it between his lips as he spoke.

"You wanted to see if I had seen your 'weapon' after placing me in a convenient location to search for it," Robin said calmly.

"Of course."

Robin's eyes darkened."I haven't seen anything," she lied.

"Nothing at all?" Crocodile asked, lighting his cigar.

"No Sir, nothing," Robin repeated.

"Are you sure?"

"…Positive, Sir."

Crocodile frowned, gazing at her for a moment. "He's somewhere in this city," he said finally. "Someone triggered the DNA file, so we know he's been found by someone and they checked his records. But before we could zone in on the exact location, someone cut the signal."

"…How strange," Robin murmured, eyes narrowing thoughtfully.

"It isn't a problem though. We know he's in this city, so it's only a matter of time. The runes that you placed should start activating, so he should be easy to find. Judgment Day is drawing near; the vessel needs to be found," Crocodile said calmly, the cool November wind blowing back his fur coat.

"Of course. I will continue my search," Robin said with a nod.

"Good. Do that, and I will fulfill our deal. You will find your 'True History'," Crocodile said, turning and beginning to walk away.

Robin turned away as well, deep blue eyes gazing into the night. "Liar," she murmured, too quietly for Crocodile to hear. "That's what you said last time. I know better now. I won't fall for your lies again. I am only here to repent for my sins. I won't let you hurt him again."

She received no answer, only the silence of an empty rooftop.

---

**To be continued… **

_I know, I know! Not very long! I'm sorry! It just seemed like a good place to cut off! I really hope you all enjoyed it anyway! _

**silverfangedgoddess: **_Constable was actually doing pretty well by the time you wrote this. Don't worry, she's doing better. _

**Mai Hayami: **_Hey, it's alright. As long as you enjoy the fic when you read it, that's all that matters! _

**kikyou-sama: **_Actually I do have a DeviantArt account, it's under the name Dreamwish. Feel free to check it out! Constable also has one, she goes by thegreatherorosalyn there and her artwork is Godly compared to mine! _

**Everyone else: **_You're all God. There were far too many reviews for me to answer every single one, but I thank you all once again. Your continued support and praise has really helped. I hope you all liked this chapter, even if it was rather short. Please review so I know you all haven't vanished on me! _

**Next Chapter:** _Usopp has a story to tell, and will Luffy ever find out if he ever got that job? Find out next chapter!_


	27. Note

Dear Readers,

First of all, I wish to apologize most sincerely for the wait. I know we have a lot of people out there reading this thing and I really wish I could meet all your wishes, but sadly I cannot.

Please keep in mind any snarkiness in the following message is directed to those of you whom are complaining. I do love you all, but constantly being bugged to update is very annoying. For those of you whom haven't complained, I thank you, and the following message includes an explanation.

Why do I never update? Well, I'd love to, but sadly this is a CO-WRITTEN project. This means that it is written by TWO people. Shocker, I know.

This may also come as a shock, but my cowriter and I, Constable, do not exist solely to type out entertainment for you. Unfortunately, we have these funny things called lives. Constable's life, as of late, has made her too busy to write. Thus, until our lives stop being so hectic, we cannot update.

I still have plenty of other ZoLu fics for you to read, as does Constable Remington. Maybe you should read a few of them while we wait for our lives to get back into order. But please, don't bug me about how we haven't updated. I know we haven't and I want to, but we cannot. There are other fics, go entertain yourself with a few of those.

**Basically, Tangled Web is on hiatus until we can get things worked out. Until then, just relax and be patient, it won't kill you.**

I can say though that I'm considering taking what we do have and making it into a chapter as a Christmas present for you all, but don't get your hopes up.

With the most sincere apology over the wait,

Digitaldreamer


	28. Of CD Players, Legends, and House Gossip

**-Tangled Web-**

**A Role-play/Joint-fic by Digitaldreamer and Constable Remington**

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: Of CD Players, Legends, and House Gossip**

_Well, it's been awhile, ne? Around seven or eight months, I believe. Man…that's a really long time. But finally at last, we're back! TW went through a bit of a slump, but we are indeed back! There were many issues, but for the most part they're worked out…or in the process of doing so, at any rate. I can't promise how often updates will be, but at least we'll be updating, ne? I'll try and update as much as I can, so Constable and I will try our best!_

_Right so…this thing is almost a year old! Wow…talk about crazy, ne? Well, not that we've been active for most of it, but a year and nearly 600 reviews is a big accomplishment, right? …Right? –crickets chirp-_

_Oh dear…with the long wait, I hope we haven't lost all of our readers…ah…sorry for the long wait everyone! We're back at last and hopefully to stay! Now then, onto the newest chapter of Tangled Web!_

---

The next day, at Yume High, a new terror roamed the halls.

_"Hello, hello! It's a new world!"_

Several people in the cafeteria stopped whatever they were doing and turned to stare at Luffy, whom was contently leaning against Zoro and singing "New World" from and anime known as .Hack/Dusk VERY loudly.

_"Hikari yori hayaku, monokuro no supiido de!"_

It has started last night when during Zoro's party, Luffy had discovered Usopp's CD's. This led to Luffy playing "New World" on the stereo over and over and over, to the point where no one could think. Eventually Nami had forced him to turn it off using various threats, and Luffy was left to sulk for five seconds before being distracted with cake.

Then the next morning, Usopp had been kind enough to give Luffy his old, beaten up CD player.

Chaos ensued.

_"Hello, hello! It's a new world!"_ Luffy continued to sing, his completely empty bento sitting in front of him.

Zoro was beginning to get extremely annoyed, and he frowned down at Luffy, finally snatching away the CD player and pulling the headphone cord out so Luffy could no longer get the noise. "Please, that's driving me insane," he gruffed. Note to self: Kill Usopp.

Luffy blinked in confusion for a moment, noting the sudden lack of music, then let out a whine and made a grab for the CD player. "Awwwwwwwwww! Come on, give it back!" he pleaded. "I won't sing anymore!"

"That's what you said ten minutes ago!" Zoro cried, stuffing the CD player into his bag. "I'll give it back after school."

Luffy pouted, folding his arms and looking away from Zoro. "Meanie," he mumbled. Of course, five seconds later he was seemingly over it as he leaned on Zoro again.

"Those weird guys keep looking at me funny…" he mumbled, glancing across the lunchroom at the table in the farthest corner. Several burly seniors sat there, clad in ripped and torn shirts and jeans. A few had some missing teeth, and appeared to have been in a few fights. Each wore a strip of black cloth tied around their upper arm with the word "Krieg" stamped upon it in bold red capital letters.

Zoro followed Luffy's gaze over, before he smirked and shook his head. "Ah, don't worry about it. Maybe they heard about you beating up that idiot and they want you to join their little gang." He paused. "...Err, don't, though, if they ask. They're just trash that think they're so powerful because they can toss a few guys around."

Luffy laughed out loud at this, turning from the guys at the table to look up at the swordsman. "Me? Join _them_? I wouldn't do that, they look sneaky! I don't like sneaky guys who beat people up for no reason!"

Zoro managed a small laugh, before quickly realizing people were probably watching him and covering it up.

Damn. Luffy was so good at making Zoro look... human.

"They do look sneaky," he murmured, shooting a glance their way. Shrugging it off, Zoro instead turned his gaze to Luffy.

Luffy giggled. He couldn't help it; he just found the word 'sneaky' to be amusing. He glanced up at Zoro, beaming warmly. "Yup, they look sneaky!" he agreed. "Good thing we're not like them, huh?"

Snorting a bit, Zoro gave a careless shrug. "Sure. We're not sneaky at all." Even so, he looked rather amused -- until the lunch bell rang.

"Awww," Luffy whined. "I don't wanna go to gym….ah well." He picked up his empty bento and stood, stretching his arms above his head. He then glanced up at Zoro and smiled. "Well, I guess I'll see you after school?" he asked, cocking his head to the side.

Zoro nodded. "Right. I'll meet you at your locker, then." He locked his gaze with Luffy's for a moment. His instincts told him to lean in for a quick kiss...

But no thanks. Not in the middle of school, with students rushing every which way. Instead, Zoro lifted a hand to brush awkwardly through Luffy's hair.

Luffy laughed. However, instead of simply leaving he stood up on tip-toe to give Zoro a quick peck on the cheek. He didn't really care who was watching, it wasn't like it mattered! The cafeteria was already empty anyway.

With this task complete, Luffy pulled away and smiled, giving a small wave as he headed out the door.

Standing there stupidly for a moment, Zoro quickly grabbed up his bento and rushed out, heading, rosy-faced, towards the library. It was his free period (thank God for being a Senior), and he really needed to get that book for English class.

He quickly moved down towards the library, wanting to hurry and get the book so he could find a nice place to sit somewhere and catch a nap. As he approached the library, though, he could hear the noise of a loud class, and glancing through the glass walls separating the library from the hallway showed him that a huge class was in there... the damn librarians always got annoyed when kids used the books and weren't part of whatever class was in there.

Slightly put-off by this, Zoro just shrugged it off and continued down the hall. He'd just go ahead and get it after school.

And so, that's what they did. After school, instead of leaving right away as usual, Luffy and Zoro stopped at the library first.

"Why are we here again?" Luffy asked as he followed the swordsman through the door into the library, gaining himself a glare from the librarian. He waved to her and scuttled by, oblivious to the fact that after spending three days here she hated him for being so loud.

"I need to get some novel to read for English class," Zoro sighed. It wasn't so bad, since he got to choose whatever he wanted to read, but he still felt like he really didn't have time for this stuff.

"Ohhhh." Luffy nodded in understanding as he glanced around at the bookshelves, his face forming into a wide smile as he glanced at the posters. That cat reading a book amused him, yes it did.

It was then that he spotted Usopp sitting at a table. "Oi, Usopp!" Luffy cried happily as he waved in an attempt to the get the long-nosed boys attention. The librarian gave him a sharp, "Shh!" and a glare, to which Luffy responded to with a sheepish smile in her direction and no attempt at quieting down.

Usopp glanced up from the book he was reading, adjusting his glasses. "Luffy? Zoro?" he asked, raising an eyebrow and looking a bit shocked that either of the boys would willingly set foot in the school library.

"Hn." Zoro waved a bit, stopping at the table that Usopp was sitting at. "What are you doing?"

"Reading this," Usopp replied, holding up an old and beaten up black book. It looked ancient, with its yellowed pages and peeling gold title on the front that couldn't be made out. "I'm looking for ideas for my final ink project in graphic arts, and this seemed like a good book to get ideas from. The problem is it's so old they won't let people check it out, so I have to read it in here."

Luffy leaned across the table so he could read the book title. However, even when he squinted he couldn't make it out. "Weird. What's it about?"

"Old legends of all sorts, explaining things from how the world was made to prophecies about things destined to happen in the future," Usopp replied with a grin, dropping voice a few octaves in an attempt to sound mysterious.

"Really? COOL!" Luffy gasped.

"Like some old fairy tale almanac?" Zoro questioned, smirking a bit at the weirdness of it all. Even so, he leaned over a bit, too, towards the book...

Usopp chuckled. "You could say that."

"Ohhh, fairy tales? Tell us one! Please Usopp?" Luffy pleaded, giving Usopp his best puppy dog look that he could manage.

Usopp frowned. "Well….I don't know…"

"Aw, come on Usopp! You're good at telling stories!"

Usopp's face spread into a grin and his chest puffed out at the praise. "Oh…well, if you insist!" With that he began flipping through the book in search of a suitable tale while Luffy gazed on in awe.

Zoro sighed, suddenly taking a seat at the table. He had a feeling that he'd be there a long time.

"Aha! Here's a good one! It's about the war between Heaven and Hell," Usopp declared, letting the book fall open so he could read the story on the pages aloud.

"A war?" Luffy repeated, eyes wide. He settled into a chair and sat there with all of his attention fixed on Usopp like a child at story time.

Usopp nodded sagely. "In the early years, back when the earth was still new, there was a war between the angels of heaven and the demons in hell. Thousands were killed on both sides in this desperate struggle for Earth, and humans were caught right in the middle of it. Neither side seemed willing to give, and at the rate they were going the very planet they were fighting over would probably be destroyed, along with their own planes as well. Ruin seemed inevitable, and there was no victor in sight.

"Then one day two sages were born, one with the power of darkness, and one with the power of light. As they were considered neutral in this war, they came to an agreement with God and Satan. They were given the ability to open and seal the gates of heaven and hell every five hundred years. The angels and demons were confined to their own realms, and their war was only allowed to be held on these two fronts.

"Every five hundred years two new sages would be born, and on the chosen day, judgment day, they would open the gates and a meeting would be held. If things had been solved, then the gates would remain open and peace would remain supreme, and if the battle continued then the two sides were to return to their realms and the war would continue.

"This seemed fair to the two deities, for neither was willing to entrust this power to the other. And so, that is how things have been for eons. The war has yet to be settled, and so every five hundred years there are two new sages and the gates are opened. Perhaps the final judgment day will dawn when all things are decided and all three realms can be at peace." Usopp nodded as he finished his story, closing the book. "Annnd, that's that."

Luffy frowned. "…So you're saying there's some big war going on and at some point two people get stuck trying to make it stop?"

Usopp shrugged. "Basically."

Luffy's face spread into a grin. "WOW! That's so cool!"

Zoro listened with half-interest, not quite understanding. He didn't really believe in that stuff, anyway.

"Hn, it's strange," he muttered gruffly, glancing around the library.

"Yeah, strange and cool! Does the book say when it's gonna happen, Usopp? Does it?" Luffy asked excitedly, leaning across the table towards Usopp with wide eyes.

Usopp shrugged, glancing into the book. "I don't think so. I guess they figure the sages will know who they are when the time comes."

Luffy pouted. "Awww, I wanted to see if it was happening now."

Usopp grinned. "Well, who knows? For all you know it could be!"

Luffy's eyes widened. "REALLY?" he gasped.

"Doesn't exactly sound like a great thing to me," Zoro muttered. He stood from his chair, moving towards a nearby shelf to look for a book. Quickly grabbing a copy of Richard Bachman's "The Regulators", Zoro moved back towards the table. "C'mon, Luffy, let's get home."

"Okay!" Luffy chirped, hopping up from his chair. "Thanks for the story Usopp, see ya later!" he said loudly, waving to Usopp. He was apparently oblivious to librarian, whom seemed to be trying to burn a hole into his skull with her glare.

"Right, bye!" Usopp said, waving and casting a nervous glance at the librarian as he did so.

Zoro's arm moved subtly around Luffy's waist as the two walked from the library towards the parking lot.

Luffy glanced up at Zoro and grinned. "Hey, do you think maybe the people from the pet store decided if I got a job yet or not?"

Shrugging some, Zoro dug in his pocket, pulling out the keys to his motorcycle. "I'm sure they'll call us."

"So let's see if they did!" the boy said excitedly. "I wanna work with the puppies!"

"All right." Zoro couldn't help but grin a little as he moved towards his motorcycle, swinging a leg over it, waiting for Luffy to join him. The two then zoomed out of the parking lot, back towards the house.

The moment they reached the boarding house Luffy hopped off of the motorcycle and charged up the front steps. He threw open the front door and rushed inside, kicking off his school shoes and leaving them in opposite ends of the area where he was supposed to leave them. He then rushed down the hallway, rather heavy backpack thumping behind him as he skidded into the kitchen.

He glanced around for a moment before spotting the phone on the countee. The answering machine next to it was FLASHING! The boy gave an excited squeak and rushed over to it, his socks sliding on the floor and nearly sending him toppling over. He managed to keep his balance by grabbing hold of the counter to stop himself and then pressing the 'play' button with his other hand. He stood with his face inches from the tiny black machine, eyes wide as saucers as he waited for the message to play.

Listlessly moving in after Luffy, Zoro kicked his shoes off, in a bored fashion, as well, moving inside just in time to hear the machine beep and a woman's voice start telling Luffy that he had been hired...

Zoro felt a slight pang in his stomach. On one hand, it was good that Luffy was going to have a job that he liked. On the other, Zoro would miss him while he was gone...

Ah, but he could suck it up. Zoro was a man!

Luffy let out a shout of excitement as he dropped his bag to the floor. As soon as the message finished the boy rushed out of the kitchen to Zoro and immediately tackled the swordsman around the waist.

"I got the job! I got the job!" Luffy cheered, grinning from ear to ear. "Did you hear it, Zoro? She said I got the job and I start tomorrow after school!"

"Yeah...I heard." Zoro carefully wrapped arms around Luffy's waist, unable to help but smiling back a bit.

Luffy giggled. "Isn't it great? Now maybe I can get you stuff. And I'll get to be with a bunch of puppies and kitties and lots of other animals while I'm working! This is so great!" he babbled excitedly.

"Don't spend your money on me," Zoro said seriously, but smiled towards Luffy anyway, leaning down and placing a gentle kiss on his lips. After all, no one else was around in the house.

Luffy smiled, gladly kissing back. He was just so happy! He finally had a job, he had a nice home with wonderful friends, and best of all he had Zoro! How could things possibly be better?

And of course, Nami chose that moment to wander from the living room to get a snack and walk right in on the two kissing. The orange-haired girls jaw dropped and she immediately thrust a finger at them. "I KNEW IT!"

"Jesus Christ, it's like privacy doesn't exist," Zoro growled as he peered over Luffy's head at Nami, then glanced back at the boy. "I swear, I should just take Luffy to go spend a night in a damn hotel." He grumbled, pulling the boy closer.

Luffy blinked in confusion. "A hotel? Huh?"

Nami's face spread into a wide, cat-like smile. "A hotel? As in a love hotel?" she cooed. "Oh how perfect, you can make love for the first time in a love hotel, how romantic! Assuming you haven't already, hmm?" Her smile became a grin, from her face you would have thought Christmas came early.

Glaring towards her, Zoro clenched his fists and just growled, quickly stomping out of the kitchen. What had been a pleasant kiss of course had to be ruined. Making it to his room, Zoro closed the door, slumping on to his bed.

Luffy remained in the hallway, looking completely confused. "Love hotel? Whaaa?"

Nami giggled, then reached out to pat Luffy on the head. "Don't worry, I'm sure your lover there will explain eventually."

"O…kay…" Luffy said slowly, blinking.

The orange-haired senior continued to smile for a moment before reaching over to suddenly hug him. "Ohhhhh, thank you!" she chirped before rushing out of the hall, leaving a very confused Luffy behind.

Nami rushed into the living room and plopped into the couch, grinning from ear to ear. "I was right!" she announced proudly.

Looking up from her book, Vivi glanced towards Nami on the couch. "Hmm?" she asked, looking confused. "What are you talking about?"

"They're together," Nami said simply as she picked up the TV remote. "It's been exactly one week since Zoro found him, and they're already off kissing in the middle of the hall!"

Giggling suddenly, Vivi smiled. "I'm so glad. Zoro should have someone."

Nami grinned. "Of course! It's about time he stopped being so antisocial! And since he now has someone, and that person happens to be Luffy, I get two thousand yen!" she said, looking proud.

"Are you talking about that bet you have with Usopp?" Vivi asked, suppressing laughter and looking back down at her book.

The orange-haired girl nodded. "He said it'd be more than a week, I said it'd be a week or less…so I win!" she cackled, rubbing her hands together. "This is so going into the ZoLu file…." And with that, she turned on the TV and began flipping through channels, still grinning.

---

Goddamn Nami.

Zoro sighed, flopped against his bed, glaring up at the ceiling. Damn woman of course had to get in the way of everything he and Luffy did. Sometimes, Zoro just wanted to take Luffy and leave...

Somewhere. Anywhere would be nice.

Anywhere without girls.

There was the sound of footsteps pounding along the hallway, followed by the door of Zoro's room cracking open. Luffy peeked his head inside, blinking in confusion. He shuffled inside, dropping his back pack onto the floor before jumping onto the bed and burying his face in Zoro's shirt.

"Zoro, why are girls so scary and confusing?" the boy asked, voice muffled by the shirt.

Slightly surprised, Zoro paused for a moment, sighing, not moving to hold Luffy at all.

"Hn, I'd like to know the answer to that one myself," he grumbled.

Luffy laughed, peering up at Zoro. "They're good friends, but they're really weird sometimes," he murmured, playing with one of the buttons on the swordsman's school shirt. "Sometimes I kinda wish they'd leave us alone for awhile."

"You have no idea," Zoro answered, his heart pumping a bit faster even as Luffy carefully touched over his buttons. He knew it was nothing but innocence, but damn...

The dark-haired boy played with the buttons for a few moments before glancing up at Zoro again, looking curious. "Zoro, what's a love hotel?"

Shifting uncomfortably, Zoro instantly felt his face flush. "It's... you know, a place where couples go, er, to make love. That is, to have... ah, sex."

Luffy cocked his head to the side. "You mean like on that one show when the guy and the girl were naked and moving funny?"

"Yeah. Ah, just like that. It's... how some people show that they love each other." Zoro was slightly uncomfortable discussing this, especially when an annoying voice in the back of Zoro's mind kept pressuring him to take Luffy, to show him what it was.

"Ohhhhh……" Luffy nodded in understanding, then frowned. "So does that mean we're supposed to go to a 'love hotel' and do that? Because Nami said we should."

"I'm sure she did," Zoro growled, fists clenching a bit. He suddenly reached down, latching an arm around Luffy. "You don't have to do anything unless you want to." He shrugged. "I don't care."

He tried to convince himself of that.

The boy frowned, blinking as he snuggled closer to the swordsman. "What if I don't know what I want, though?" he asked, eyes of dark chocolate gazing into obsidian.

"Well, no one's making you decide now. You don't have to decide, ever." Zoro shrugged.

Luffy propped his chin up on his hands, gazing at Zoro. "Well what do you want?" he asked, sounding curious. He honestly didn't know what to make of the situation, so he assumed Zoro would know.

"Me?" Zoro sputtered a moment, taken aback. "Er, I... I don't know. I suppose I want what you want, Luffy. I don't want to hurt you or do something you're not ready for." He shrugged, then paused for a moment before smirking. "But, I can't say that I don't want you," he finished bluntly. There, that sounded about right.

The boy gave a small laugh, blushing. "Want me?" he repeated. "You already have me." He said, scooting forward a bit so he could plant a quick kiss on the swordsman's lips.

Zoro softly returned the kiss, deciding to let the whole "sex" matter rest... for now, anyway. "Yeah... I do."

Luffy pulled away, smiling widely. The moment was interrupted by a soft whine at the foot of the bed. The boy immediately sat up and turned, his smile becoming a grin. "Chopper! There you are! I wondered where you were!" Luffy hopped off of Zoro and onto the floor so he could properly pet the puppy.

There was a pause.

"Why do you have Nami's underwear? I don't think puppies are supposed to eat underwear…maybe we should have gotten you some food…gee…"

Luffy stood with a baffled look on his face, a whining Chopper in one arm and a pair of rather torn up pair of panties in his other one. "Um…Zoro…I don't think Nami's gonna be very happy…Chopper was kinda hungry.."

Zoro stared blankly, quickly reaching out and grabbing the panties from Luffy's hand. He quickly tossed them into the trashcan. "Maybe she won't notice," he said blankly. "We'll get him food tomorrow."

The boy gave a small laugh and plopped down on the bed with Chopper. He scratched behind the puppies ears before bursting into laughter again and falling back onto the bed. "Okay Chopper, you hear that? We'll get you food tomorrow, no more eating Nami's underwear, alright?" he said, waving a finger at the puppy. Chopper just barked and wagged his tail.

Zoro watched the puppy wearily. Luffy certainly liked the thing, but Zoro had the sneaking suspicion that that dog was trouble.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence Luffy suddenly sat up, blinking. "Hey….do you think anyone's using the PS2?" he asked, glancing back at Zoro.

Zoro rose an eyebrow. "I don't know, why don't you go look?" He was perfectly content taking a nap, himself.

Luffy grinned. "Okay, I will! Then I'll play Soul Caliber 2 and when Usopp shows up I will totally own him with my mad beat down skills as Talim! BWA HA HA HA!" The boy cackled, making a twisted grin like an evil scientist. He rubbed his hands together, then glanced back at Zoro and grinned evilly. "You should play sometime! I bet I'd beat you!"

"Hn. No thanks." Zoro just turned over a bit, facing the wall. "I want a nap."

The dark-haired boy pouted. "Awwwww…..will you play with me later? Please?" he pleaded. "It'd be fun…"

"Maybe, if you stop whining," Zoro answered bluntly.

"Yay!" Luffy cheered, punching his fists in the air. "Okay, I'll leave you alone for now!" He leaned over to give the swordsman a quick kiss on the cheek. "Love you!" With that, he grabbed Chopper and rushed out the room, closing the door behind him.

Zoro allowed himself a grin, though a small one, and drifted easily off to sleep.

The swordsman stayed that way, in peaceful, dreamless slumber, until the smell of warm, comforting Italian food sifted through the house. He stirred a bit, but did not wake.

"Zoooroooo!" Luffy's voice came echoing as he bounded down the hallway, looking excited. He threw open the door and poked his head in. "Come on, you gotta get up! Sanji made some really yummy food!"

There was no answer or movement from the older man. He stayed just as he was, snoozing.

Luffy watched this for a moment, then gave a mischievous grin. "Oooh Zoro… wake up!" he said in a singsong voice as he began to tip-toe closer to the swordsman's bed.

Again, the man's form remained still.

"Still not waking up, huh? Too bad, because that means you're going to fall prey to Luffy, the ESPN ninja!" With that he pounced on top of the swordsman with a loud yell, wrapping his arms around him.

Strong arms instantly wrapped around Luffy, flipping the pair until Zoro had Luffy completely pinned. He was awake, alright, and grinning like a madman, smirking down at Luffy. "And what fierce ninja powers you have."

"Awwwww, no fair!" Luffy whined, struggling against Zoro's grip for a few moments before giving up and pouting at the swordsman. "I have fierce ninja powers, you just have fiercer ninja powers! You must be a part of the rival ninja clan!"

Zoro just answered with a powerful kiss, pushing his lips hard against Luffy's, before pulling away. "Let me guess," he said. "Spaghetti for dinner?"

Luffy's pout became a wide smile. "Yup! It smells really yummy!" he chirped.

Zoro just smirked. "I can taste it in your mouth," he said softly.

The boy laughed at this. Well, as long as Sanji never found out, he was safe. "It tastes yummy too, huh? Just don't tell Sanji that I already know." He said with a mischievous grin.

"Yeah, yeah, sure." Sliding from the bed, Zoro stretched and yawned, cracking his neck and starting for the door. "C'mon, then."

"Yay, spaghetti!" Luffy cheered, jumping up and rushing towards the door, nearly running over Zoro in his attempt to get at the food quicker.

Zoro frowned a bit as Luffy pushed him aside, feeling slightly put-out. Whatever. Moving after him down the hall and stairs, he reached the table long after the rest had sat down.

"'Bout time, Moss-head," Sanji sneered, but Zoro didn't say anything, just beginning to eat what was at his plate.

Luffy was inhaling his spaghetti at his usual astonishing pace, once that if timed would probably have easily gotten him a world record and have made many stare in wonder. Seriously, watching Luffy eat could be seen as a very gruesome spectator sport.

Nami glanced around, noting that everyone was here, and then smiled slyly before speaking up. "So...today Vivi and I just happened to be watching our show and I decided to get up and get a snack…and guess what I walked in on?"

Usopp glanced up from his plate, blinking as he slurped up a particularly long sauce-covered noodle. "What?" he inquired, honestly curious.

The orange-haired girl's smile widened into a grin. "Zoro and Luffy. Kissing."

Choking on a piece of bread, Sanji pounded a fist on his chest, leaning forward, face instantly red. Zoro's grip had tightened on his fork, staring down into his plate. Usopp's eyes widened and his jaw dropped, a strand of spaghetti still hanging from it. "They what?" he sputtered as Luffy continued to slurp up his spaghetti as if nothing had happened.

"You heard me, they were kissing! Snogging, smooching, whatever you want to call it," Nami chirped. "Which means you owe me two thousand yen, Usopp!" She added, pointing a finger at Usopp.

"Th-that can't be right!" Usopp exclaimed, wiping tomato sauce from his face and looking over at Luffy. "Oi, Luffy, she's lying right?"

Luffy shook his head, still engrossed in his food.

Usopp stared at him with wide eyes. "..I don't believe it..."

"I think we can shut up about this now," Zoro murmured, forcefully continuing to eat.

"Ohhh, relax Zoro. We're all just amazed that you're actually capable of doing something besides brooding," Nami drawled, waving her hand in a dismissive manner.

"He is? Hmmm...that is strange…maybe he's not actually the real Zoro! Maybe he's just a robot sent by the government to spy on us!" Usopp suggested, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

"Zoro's a robot?" Luffy gasped, eyes wide as he glanced at Zoro.

"Yup," Usopp said, nodding sagely. "In fact, that's probably why he's getting so close to you! Maybe he's trying to get you to use in some kind of government lab experiment!"

"NO WAY!"

"Stop being ridiculous," Zoro growled. He was quickly beginning to grow sick of this house and the people in it. Maybe he needed to start looking for a new place.

"It's not ridiculous, it's true! You're just denying it because you don't want anyone finding out your secret!" Usopp declared.

Luffy frowned for a moment, thinking. He then leaned over, staring intently at Zoro, a strand of spaghetti still hanging from his mouth. "Zoro, ARE you a robot?" he asked, sounding curious.

"No," he answered coldly, folding down his utensils on his plate. "I think I'm done for the night." With that, he stood, scooting his chair from the table as he went.

Nami blinked. "You're leaving already?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Luffy glanced up with a questioning look as he swallowed the last of his food.

"…Already?" he repeated, shoulders drooping a bit. He didn't want Zoro to leave for work so soon…

"Yeah, already," he answered, not meeting Luffy's gaze. He threw his napkin down on his plate, walking from the kitchen and into the hallway. He grabbed his jacket, slinging it on and fishing for keys in his pocket. He didn't much want to think about his housemates.

Those at the table sat in silence for a moment. Then finally Nami spoke up. "Alright, see you later Zoro!"

"Bye Zoro!" Usopp called as well. "Anyway, as I was saying, you can tell a robot from a regular human by…"

Though Luffy felt inclined to stay and listen to Usopp's story, the boy pushed his chair away from the table with a squeak. He then rushed out the kitchen and into the hallway, ignoring Robin's call of, "You really should take care of your plate, Luffy-san…" The boy rushed down the hallway, nearly tripping over the ends of his jeans as he finally skidded to a stop behind the swordsman, throwing his arms around him.

He stayed like that for a moment, face pressed against the back of Zoro's new trench coat. The boy let a small breath before speaking. "Come back safe. Promise?"

Blinking some, Zoro turned, his arms moving around the boy's waist.

"...Yeah," he said softly. "I promise."

There was a moment's hesitation, before Zoro leaned down, pushing a soft, gentle kiss against Luffy's lips.

Luffy returned the kiss, eyes fluttering closed in the moment. He didn't really care if anyone in the house saw, why shouldn't they know? He loved Zoro, why should he have to hide that?

Zoro didn't give a damn, either... why should he? It was his house too, and if he wanted to do something with Luffy in his own goddamn house, that was his business.

If they thought kissing was bad, they hadn't seen anything yet.

After a few seconds Luffy finally pulled away, giving the swordsman one final squeeze. "Good," he said, beaming up at the swordsman. "I'll see you later, then! Make sure to be back soon!"

"Alright." Zoro nodded, turning and moving, with a sort of spring in his step, out the door.

Yeah... it was a good night.

With that thought, Zoro climbed onto his motorcycle, starting it up and driving away.

Luffy watched him go with a slightly sad smile before closing the door and walking past the kitchen. He felt really tired all of a sudden…maybe he'd just go rest for a bit.

"Oi, Luffy! Do you want any dessert?" Usopp called.

The boy paused a moment, frowning before replying. "Um…maybe later! Make sure to save me a whole lot, okay?"

There was silence for a moment before Nami peered out of the kitchen, a concerned frown on her face. "That's weird for you…are you feeling sick? Did Zoro do something to you?" she inquired, quirking a brow. Normally she would have teased him, but whether she liked it or not she'd grown attached to the boy over the past week and the thought of him being sick did have her a bit concerned.

Whether they admitted it or not, everyone in the house really did care about Zoro and Luffy. Teasing them was just their way of showing affection, that was all.

Luffy laughed, scratching his head a bit sheepishly. "No, no, I'm fine! Just kind of tired, that's all. I'm just gonna rest for a little while, okay? Make sure to save me some dessert, okay Sanji?"

"Of course." Sanji grabbed a plate from the cupboard, begging to spoon the dessert onto it. "Just come get it whenever you want."

"Thanks!" Luffy chirped with a bit less enthusiasm than usual before making his way up the stairs. He managed to make his way to he and Zoro's room. Chopper was pawing at the door with a low-pitched whine. Upon hearing Luffy come over the puppy looked up at the boy and wagged his tail expectantly.

"'Lo, Chopper." Luffy mumbled, opening the door to allow the puppy in before stumbling in and closing it behind him. He immediately collapsed onto the bed with a groan, the springs squeaking under his weight. The comforter was a bit disheveled from Zoro's nap earlier, but the boy didn't really care.

Why did he feel so tired suddenly? His entire body felt like lead, and it was as if all of his strength had just drained out of him. What was going on here?

Chopper hopped onto his bed with a bit of effort and bounded over to him, placing his paws on Luffy's chest. When the boy didn't respond the puppy cocked his head to the side and gave a small whine, tail wagging.

Luffy gave a weak smile and reached up with a bit of effort to pet the blue-nosed puppy's soft brown fur. The puppy gave another whine and a small pink tongue stuck out to lick his nose.

"Sorry Chopper…I'm really tired…'night…" he murmured, eyes finally fluttering shut.

He stayed like that for a few seconds, the room eerily silent. Chopper sat there for a moment, peering down worriedly at his master.

Then without warning Luffy's eyes suddenly flew open, his pupils now completely dilated. He glanced down at Chopper for a moment before his eyes narrowed. "_A puppy_? He's certainly taking a lot of liberties…I'll have to fix that streak of defiance," he murmured. The voice sounded like Luffy's, though it was overlaid with a deeper, richer, colder one that most definitely did not belong to the boy.

He sat up with a mechanical quickness, causing Chopper to give a yelp of fear and back away a few steps, hackles rising. The puppy bared his small teeth, a growl coming from his throat before he let out a loud bark This wasn't his master!

Luffy wrinkled his nose at the growling puppy, bangs falling in front of his eyes. "Stupid animal," he hissed before reaching out to press two fingers against Chopper's forehead. "Go to sleep."

Blue eyes widened and Chopper let out a pained yelp as a shock coursed through his body. Then with a small whimper the puppy collapsed onto the bed, unconscious.

Luffy…or whoever he was right now gazed down at the puppy for a moment before sliding off of the bed and onto his feet. "Well…this is convenient," he murmured as he walked across the room to pick up the red and white sneakers stowed in a corner.

"I don't know what's up with that Roronoa guy…it seems being near him forces me out of control, somehow…how strange. Whatever, the point is he's gone now," he hissed as he pulled on the dirty sneakers, then followed this up by pulling on a jean jacket as well. With this task complete he turned and headed towards the window.

He gazed at his reflection for a moment before a horrible, sadistic grin came to his face, eyes glinting dangerously. "I think it's time I visit that dear 'Taisa' a visit…can't leave any witnesses alive, after all."

With a quick movement he pulled the window open, climbed through it, and disappeared into the night.

---

**To Be Continued…**

_Dun dun dun! What a way to end the newest chapter, eh? Ah, don't kill me for the cliffie, please!_

_So after this I'm going to go through all the old chapters and fix them up. Why? Because there are a lot of embarrassing errors in it that I'd like to fix (such as the use of dollars in Japan…yeah, I fail…), as well as a few spots here and there (all of my writing, none of Constable's) where the writing is rather…not good. Don't worry; I'm just improving it all so it'll look better for any new readers or for anyone who wants to read it, that's all! Not much shall be changed, and nothing that affects the plot. Also, it shouldn't affect the RP this all comes from, so Tangled Web will still hopefully be updated very soon!_

_Right, so…reviews are greatly appreciated! Come on guys; let us know there are still people out there reading!_

**Next Chapter:**_ Zoro's got a new mission, and "Luffy" has a bone to pick with a certain Police Captain…_


	29. The End

Why hello there, long time no see guys.

I don't know how many of you are still reading this... if you've been waiting all this time and seeing that alert in your inbox excited you, I apologize. I don't have a chapter to give you.

I will be blunt, this fic is never going to be finished. I apologize if you've been waiting and hoping, but Constable and I don't talk anymore. Long story short we both changed, as did our interests, and we just drifted. I'm not really sad about it, it's something that happens as you get older, and really, that's life. I felt I owed you all an explanation after all this wait though, so here we go.

First of all I want to thank all of you who enjoyed this fic. In retrospect I have any issues with it... heck, I'm not even a fan of yaoi anymore (blasphemy, I know), but I know many people loved in and spite of everything it is still my baby. I pretty much grew up with this thing for a year and I know it meant a lot to a lot of people. For those of you who sent all those kind words and encouraged me, this is for you.

I figured it was only right that I warn those of you who are eagerly waiting that there will be no more chapters. I also figured for those of you who were curious, I'd quickly explain what was going to happen. So yes, SPOILERS AHEAD! I warn you, the whole idea is pretty silly, so if you laugh, do try to keep in mind that I was 14 when I wrote this. Also if there are plot holes, I apologize. The plot may have actually run better than this, but I lost the file that had my plot notes so I'm going by memory.

Anyway, let me explain what I remember: For those of you who guessed, Luffy is, of course, the sage of light. His brother Ace is the sage of darkness. Oooh, crazy times. The two of them were originally supposed to just do their job come judgment day and all was supposed to be fine.

Ha, like things were going to be that easy.

Now first of all, Luffy and Ace were really damn unlucky. When they were very young their parents were murdered by a certain Captain Kuro. Oh how unfortunate! Of course, Kuro, being the sneaky bastard he is, didn't actually get caught. He escaped... and he was also a dick and totally adopted Luffy and Ace and abused them for years. Oh the humanity! Of course, this ended up not being a good thing, since after years of abuse Ace finally snapped and his powers were triggered. He caused a massive housefire, killing Kuro inside and nearly killing himself and Luffy as well. Fortunately, he and Luffy escaped...

...Only to end up in the hands of Crocodile and the Baroque works. Ooooh dear. It turns out the Baroque Works have this grand horrible plan involving the sages. See, Crocodile made a deal with a certain demon known as Akuma. If Crocodile could get Akuma a host so Akuma could work toward attaining a physical form, in return, Akuma would basically help him take over the underground. Naturally, the best choice for this host was one of the two sages. So Luffy and Ace are captured and messed with like crazy. Ace isn't able to be used as a host since his powers had already awakened, but Luffy did in fact work. Sooo Luffy got himself a crazy demon inside him, which sucked.

When this happened, it triggered Luffy's own crazy powers. With his powers Luffy managed to seal Akuma away so the demon couldn't control him and he and Ace hightailed it out of there. They made it to the city, where they were found by Shanks. Shanks, being the cool guy that he is, totally adopted Luffy and Ace. Luffy and Ace lived with Shanks for a few years and all was grand... annnd then that darn demon in Luffy's head managed to break free. Akuma proceeded to murder Shanks, since he needs life energy to gain himself his own body and then he high-tailed it out of there before Ace could stop him.

After this Akuma wanders around, possessing an unaware Luffy and going about murdering people so he can get energy. One of these people was Tashigi. This was a bad idea since Taishigi was Smoker's partner in the police force. Suffice to say, Smoker was kind of upset, so he proceeded to try to find Akuma. Akuma, meanwhile, was continuing his oh-so-fun murdering spree... unfortunately for him Luffy was more capable than he gave the kid credit for so after weeks of being mind-controlled Luffy snapped out of it. The boy was very confused when he came to... and in his confusion he ended up being caught completely unaware as he crossed paths with a certain Don Krieg and his gang. Don Krieg and his gang proceeded to pull some dirty tricks and beat Luffy pretty bad. Luffy still manages to beat them, but he is severely injured. His injuries are enough to allow Akuma to regain control.

And this, of course, is when Smoker finds him. Akuma tries to fight, but Smoker is not happy and Akuma/Luffy has lost a lot of blood. Smoker manages to get a good hit and severely injures the kid. The demon proceeds to run away and finally passes out due to blood loss.

This is where Zoro comes in.

Blahblahblah the story you saw happens. Any time Luffy was acting weird, he was being possessed by Akuma. Speaking of which, Akuma managed to get control again in that last chapter and he proceeds to hunt down Smoker and kill him. Oh dear. He manages to get away with it, though Zoro is confused and suspicious. There's also some crazy mini-arc wherein Don Krieg shows up and wants revenge, so he tricks Luffy and captures him and Zoro has to rescue him and Luffy snaps and causes a crazy power surge and this attracts Crocodile's attention. Dananana.

So after all that drama and Zoro being suspicious and Luffy having no idea what's going on Crocodile shows up and triggers something crazy so Akuma has full control. Akuma proceeds to reveal what Luffy is and destroys the boarding house and Zoro's all "dfgslkfsdfjsdjk!" Akuma proceeds to leave with Crocodile and everyone in the now destroyed boarding house is like "well crap." Ace then proceeds to show up and be all "GODDAMN GUYS WHERE IS MY BROTHER?! Oh... that explosion was him, huh? WELL!" and he proceeds to give lengthy exposition on his and Luffy's pasts.

Zoro is all "Well that is cool but I WANT TO GO SAVE LUFFY AND GET HIM UNPOSESSED!" and Robin's all "Well I used to work for Crocodile but I don't anymore so HEY let's go track them down!" So they do.

Annnd they track posessed!Luffy down just in time for Crocodile to basically use Luffy's body as leverage and force Zoro to sacrifice himself so Luffy will live. This in turn causes this crazy ancient ritual that gives Akuma his body and Akuma's all "AWESOME! I'm going to go destroy the world now!" and Crocodile's all "WHAT ABOUT OUR DEAL!?" and Akuma's all "Bitch please" and kills Crocodile. Meanwhile Luffy, who has his body back, is like "OH GOD ZORO YOU ARE DYING PLEASE DON'T DIE!" Akuma laughs at this and heads off to prepare for the whole destroying the world thing.

So Zoro is dying in Luffy's arms... and then Ace is the BEST BIG BROTHER EVER and is all "You really love this guy, huh? Well, I don't really have anything but you since you killed Smoker sooo... right" and he gives his life and powers to Zoro so Zoro will live. So Ace dies and Zoro becomes the new sage of darkness. It is pretty sad and HEY now Luffy and Zoro have to use their awesome powers in an epic final battle to save the world.

But hey, at least before they do that they get to have sex, which is all people really ever read this fic for. Nevermind that it would have been offscreen.

So right, Luffy and Zoro go off and fight Akuma and it's crazy and dramatic but they do win. Awesome, right? They saved the world, whoo! Except wait, one small thing.

Luffy really is dead. See, when that lady read Luffy's file that said he and Ace were already dead, she wasn't lying. Luffy and Ace died in the fire. Their spirits were only forced to remain on earth since they had a job to do as the sages. Annnd now that the job is done? You guessed it, Luffy's out of there.

So yeah, it is sad. Luffy and Zoro share one last tearful kiss... and then Luffy fades away forever. It's sad, but Luffy is happy... after all, he made a lot of great friends and met the love of his life. So at least he dies happy.

Yeah. That is the end. I'd say "feel free to stone us" but looking back I must say that the whole thing was rather ridiculous. Hopefully hearing it all isn't too depressing, since I'm starting to worry the plot you guys thought Constable and I were building up probably seemed better in your heads. At least you all finally know how it ends? Ahahaha... yeah ugh I'm sorry.

...Okay, I'll stop being mean. In all seriousness, for what it's worth... this fic had it's issues, it's cheesy, but I did have fun with it. I think Constable did too. If anyone deserves my thanks, it's her. She caught me at a really immature point in my life... and really, she taught me a lot, looking back. Constable, if you ever read this, thanks a lot. I know we never finished this... but really, the better parts have always been yours. I was just riding on your talent. For what it's worth, I really did have fun writing this, and I hope in spite of everything you did too. Thank you so much for this.

Also, to those of you who read this and followed it for so long, thank you. It really does mean a lot, this is a monster of a fic and to have so many people tell me they enjoyed it was truly a pleasure. I'm sorry we couldn't give it the ending it deserved, but I hope with this you all can at least happily put this thing to rest. Thank you for following this for so long, thank you for your kind words, and thank you for inspiring me. Were it not for you guys I probably wouldn't have gone on to write more fanfiction. You all gave me confidence and strength, and I thank you.

Also, special shout outs to Dichana, AlibisDragon, and Saiyako. I don't know where you all are now, but we must represent. You three seriously impacted my life and inspired me, so thank you for everything. I'm not really into this stuff anymore... but for what it's worth, Saiyako, you'll always be Zoro to me.

So yeah... TL;DR, there's an explanation of the plot, I'm sorry if it disappointed. Thank you all for reading this fic. If you ever get into any of my other fandoms, do feel free to stop by, to get reviews from all of you is always a pleasure. Thank you for all of your support and thank you for helping me grow. I'm not in this fandom anymore, nor really into this pairing... but this was a major part of my life and I appreciated every moment of it. You all mean more than words can describe... I can only hope in return this fic at least made you smile a few times.

Thank you for everything, God bless.

**-Digitaldreamer-**


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